Legend of Kai
by cleo0421
Summary: You know that moment where you realize everything you thought you knew was a lie? Oh good, me too! I never asked for any of this and the only thing I had to worry about before was evading chores. But, now there's a grumpy prince, a life-or-death mission, and some boy that was popped out from an iceberg. Welcome to my life...(T because I'm paranoid) NOT Aang/OC.
1. Chapter 1: Origin of Legend

**Chapter 1: Origin of Legends**

 **Hey Guys! This is my first ever fanfic so please be patient with me! I decided to do a little OC story. I haven't found a fanfic like this without a romantic interest. I find that sometimes that draws away from the main story, plus I don't want this to be a 'Mary Sue gets the main character guy!' type of story.**

 **I'll try to not make the character too perfect or anything, perfect is boring. Please tell me if I am and I'll try to fix it. Constructive criticism is appreciated and encouraged! –Cleo0421**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, just Kai.**

* * *

 **The Legend of Kai**

Life never turns out the way you expect it to. Whether it be a happy surprise, a tragic loss, or even waking up to a lemur in your face. Life always finds some way to throw a curveball at you. In my case, that curveball started with a bald air bender frozen in ice. But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Let's get to my introduction first.

* * *

" _Kai!"_ shouted an elderly woman waving a bucket in the air." _Get back here this instant and do your chores or so help me I'll-!"_

"Not a chance Gran Gran!" I shouted back, laughing as I leapt over the wall of ice surrounding the village, the villagers just shaking their heads in amusement at the familiar scene. Like that woman could _ever_ force me to wash a pair of _Sokka's_ socks! I shuddered at the mere thought.

After I had cleared a reasonable amount of distance from the village, I allowed myself to slow into a walk. I patted down my dark blue parka trying to get all the snow off, and grabbed at my neck to make sure my necklace hadn't fallen off. I sighed in relief once I felt the familiar metal in my hand. The necklace was a small, gold medallion. It had an image of three swirls in, what appeared to be the outline of a flower, and a flame on the back. It was all I had left of my heritage.

I wasn't born in the South Pole. I was found by Chief Hakoda, in what looked like an abandoned merchant ship. They were looking for supplies; imagine their surprise when they find an adorable baby instead. I'd like to think that I gave them quite the scare. Luckily they took me home instead of leaving me for dead. I was raised in Hakoda's house with his children, Sokka and Katara. My necklace being the only thing with me the day I was found.

I grew close to Katara, we're practically sisters. Sokka was like a brother to me, if all brothers are supposed to be whiny, sexist, know-it-alls. I gulped down a lump as my thoughts went to Kaya, Hakoda's wife and my friends' mother. She was the kindest person I knew, and the day she died was the hardest for everyone in the household. She was a practically my own mother.

After that fateful day, everything had changed. Katara had taken up the mother role, her having 14 years to my 12. It was nice to feel cared for and all, but sometimes it's a bit overboard. One time I had fallen out of Sokka's watchtower and I broke my arm. It took a couple months for it to heal, but it didn't help that Katara was running around like a headless chicken. _Yeesh_.

You'd think that she was the one hurt not me. I swear she put me on 24/7 watch, always trying to take care of me. I have limits to how long I can stand her constant worrying. She _far_ exceeded them. Sokka thought it was hilarious. _Jerk._ After Hakoda left to fight, though, Sokka had also started to be more protective. Even though I learned how to fight from Hakoda at my request, he treated me like I was a little kid. I'm _12,_ it's not like I was going to do anything horribly stupid. They wouldn't even let me come with them on their fishing trip in fear I'd 'fall into the icy waters and freeze to death'.

I blew my raven black hair out of my face, regretting not putting it in a braid, as I looked down at my reflection in the water. I pulled at my long black hair. It was probably going to need to be cut soon. My eyes were an amber shade. Something strange, but nobody really thought twice about it around here. Or, at least they didn't mention it around me. My skin was a bit paler than everyone else. Not paper white, but white enough that I had to worry about being out in the sun for too long. A loud ringing noise broke me out of my reverie. I quickly looked behind me in alarm as I saw a giant beam of light shoot up in the distance behind the village. Gasping, I quickly dashed back the way I came.

I climbed the ice wall and leapt off the top, running back to the house.

* * *

Meanwhile, a small fire nation ship was resting in the icy water, watching from afar. A young teenage boy with a scar on his face, and an elderly man were on the deck when the pillar of light rose from the ice. The boy's eyes widened.

"Finally." He whispered, watching the scene before him. Turning back to his companion he yelled, "Uncle, do you know what this means!"

"That I won't get to finish my game?" Came the distracted reply as the man, known as retired General Iroh of the fire nation, played a game with tiles. The tiles had the symbols of the 4 nations on it. Ignoring his Uncle the boy, known as the exiled Prince Zuko of the fire nation, turned back to the direction of the light.

"It means that my search is finally over." Zuko said facing the distance.

Iroh sighed again as he set down his card. But Zuko wasn't done.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source, it has to be him!" He insisted.

"Or it could just be the celestial lights." His Uncle replied, waving his hand towards the sky. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko; I don't want you to get too excited over nothing." He explained as he set down another tile. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?"

" _I DON'T NEED CALMING TEA!_ " Zuko shouted, proving himself wrong. In a more controlled voice he said. "I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman! Set a course for the light!" Zuko shouted as he pointed ahead. Iroh just looked down at the tile in his hand. _Air._

* * *

" _Gran Gran!"_ I shouted, looking around frantically for the elderly woman.

"There you are! Wait til I get my hands on you! You-"She suddenly stopped her rant as she saw my panicked expression. "What is it Kai?"

"There was a giant beacon of light that shot into the sky a second ago!" I pointed outside. "It came from the direction Sokka and Katara went! Do you think they're okay?"

Gran Gran's face suddenly paled as she hurried outside. I quickly followed her. We both went the small river in which the siblings had used this morning. I looked around for any sign of their return.

I spotted something coming down the river. I looked at it curiously. _Is that a fluffy chunk of ice?_ I inwardly questioned my sanity.

"Gran Gran, what's that?"

She also took a look at the fluffy iceberg, that was slowly coming closer and now looked like a fluffy giant animal. I let out a squeak as I realized how big it was! It's gonna eat me!

"Gran Gran! Quick! Run before it sees you! It'll smell your slow, old age and target you first!"

She quickly smacked me upside the head.

"Be respectful." She glared at me as I cradled my injured head. "Besides, it looks like the monster brought your siblings home." She said as she pointed at the fluffy monster. _Hmm..I think I'll call you..muffy._

"Wait, what?" I quickly looked at it again, and I did see 2 blue figures and 1 orange figure on the muffy. _Sokka? Katara? Wait, who wears orange in the South Pole?_

I started running down the riverside, hopping along chunks of floating ice as need be. I neared the muffy and I realized that _was_ Katara and Sokka! Plus orange boy, who looked asleep.

" _Katara! Sokka!_ " I shouted as I neared them. Katara's head popped out the side of the saddle.

" _Kai! Stop jumping on that slab of ice before you fall in!"_ She all but screeched. See what did I tell you? What a drama queen.

" _What?!_ Kai fell in the ice?!" I could tell Sokka had just woken from a nap by the sound of his groggy, panicked voice.

I rolled my eyes at them before deciding to step onto solid ice.

"Calm down." I mumbled under my breath.

Katara quickly jumped off the saddle and ran to me, pulling me into a tight hug.

"You scared the daylights out of me!" She shouted in my ear. I tolerated the hug knowing that if I resisted, it would only be worse. I secretly enjoyed the concern. I enjoyed it less as Sokka suddenly grabbed me too, all of a sudden I couldn't breathe.

" _Sokka-!_ Air-need- _Now!_ " He quickly dropped me onto the snow, and I gulped down fresh air.

"Geez, you two need to learn to calm down! I can handle myself!" I shouted.

They both looked at each other, before turning to me with disbelief on their faces.

"Oh really? Like when you fell out of the watchtower because you were leaning too far out?"

"Or when you got lost for a day after running after a penguin?"

"Or that time when you ate a poisonous fish?"

"Or when you-"I quickly cut off Sokka.

"Okay! Okay! Whatever, you make a _few_ minor mistakes and it's held over you forever." I sighed. A low groan behind me reminded me that we had other company.

"Muffy!" I shouted running over to the giant fluff monster. I jumped onto his tail and climbed into the saddle. I giggled as I pet his side. He gave a grunt of appreciation.

"Who's a good fluff monster?" I cooed at him. Meanwhile Katara and Sokka stared at me as if I had grown a third head. I huffed at them. _What? I can like a muffy if I feel like it!_

"Who's muffy?" Sokka asked. I rolled my eyes at the stupid question.

"Obviously him." I pointed below me at the animal. "Flufffy+Monster=Muffy. Fonster just didn't sound right." I explained.

Katara rolled her eyes at my weirdness before saying, "His name is Appa. He's Aang's flying bison." I looked at her confused.

"Aang?" I questioned. Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered.

"Oh yeah! He's the kid on the bison's head!" I quickly scrambled to Appa's head and glanced down. _Ohh it's the orange kid! He has weird tattoos._

"He's sleeping." I sighed. I was hoping that he could entertain me. It was so boring around here. Sokka came up on Appa and put Aang on his back.

"We can't leave him out here. And we can't let Appa into the village, he's too big. C'mon, let's head back." Sokka took Aang and began to walk home.

"What happened to you guys out there?" I questioned Katara. She explained to me everything. From how she water bended the iceberg (I congratulated her for that), found Aang in the iceberg, and how they rode Appa back.

I whistled, "Wow, an air bender! Crazy fishing trip." Katara laughed and we hurried to catch up to Sokka and Gran Gran.

* * *

"Aang, meet the entire village. Entire village, Aang." Katara waved her hand at us as. Aang bowed to us, and I waved at him, but the village just stared at Aang looking scared, yet in awe. He stood back up and looked at us confusedly.

"What's wrong? Did Appa sneeze on me?" He quickly looked himself over as Gran Gran stepped up.

"It's just that no one has seen an air bender in a hundred years, we thought that they were all extinct." She said, rather bluntly in my opinion.

Aang looked at her in horror. "Extinct?" he asked. Katara just pointed at Gran Gran.

"Aang, this is my grandmother." She said.

"Call me Gran Gran."

Just then Sokka decided to be the 'warrior' he was and grabbed Aang's staff.

"What's this? You can't stab anyone with this!" He looked rather disgusted at the staff. I rolled my eyes again. _Oh yeah, like he's gonna go around stabbing people anyways._

"It's not for stabbing, it's for gliding. I bend the air currents around my glider to fly," Aang explained as he popped open his glider and moved it around.

"Last time I checked, people can't fly!" The pessimist—uhm, _Sokka,_ shouted.

"Check again!" Aang suddenly flew into the air in a burst of motion. I gaped in awe as he flew around effortlessly. He looked so... _free_. He suddenly glanced at Katara, and then started to show off. I hid a laugh behind my glove. _How cute, Katara has a fan._ Then Aang suddenly crashed into Sokka's watchtower.

"My watchtower…" Sokka whispered brokenly as he stared at the crumbling structure with an orange figure sticking out of it. I snorted. _Good riddance, that thing's a hazard to people's health._

I ran over to the pile of snow and spotted Aang struggling to free himself. I walked over to him, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him out.

"Thanks!" He shot me a big smile. "What's your name? I'm Aang!"

"I'm Kai, nice to meet you Aang." I replied, happy to meet someone who's the same age as me. It's annoying always being treated like a baby.

"Will you go penguin sledding with me?" He asked with a gleam in his eye. _What's the worst that could happen?_

"Sure! I've never gone before because Sokka and Katara never let me." I rolled my eyes, _again_. Wow, I'm doing that a lot nowadays.

"Where are you going?" I flinch, and turn to the source of the voice. _Katara._

"Uh…me and Aang were just gonna…maybe…go penguin sledding?" I asked her with hopeful, pleading, puppy eyes. Katara's eyes widen as she forces herself to look away. _She could never resist this look_. I thought smugly. Katara stood like that for 2 minutes before sighing and saying. "Okay, fine you can go. On one condition." She said as soon as I was about to celebrate. "I have to come along to make sure you don't maul yourself." I pouted at the accusation, and just nodded my head.

"Awesome!" Aang shouted happily next to us. He pumped his fist into the air, and then he started doing a little happy dance. I laughed and joined in. Katara just watched in amusement as me and Aang did a silly dance together. I looked At Sokka as he walked over to us.

"Great, you're and air bender, Katara's a water bender. Together you can waste time all day." He grumbled as he walked off to fix his tower.

"You're a water bender!" Aang said in awe. Katara looked down modestly.

"Well sort of, not yet." She explained.

Then suddenly I remembered something as I glanced back at the village.

"Uh, Katara. What about your chores?" I questioned. While I was a rebel and liked to run away from chores, Katara was the opposite. She gasped as she realized the same thing as me.

"That's right! I have to finish them first!" She then began to jog back to the house. I then had an idea.

"Hey Aang, let's go before she gets back! I'd rather not have someone looking over my shoulder the whole time we're sledding." I explained to him. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"Won't Katara get mad? She told us that she had to go with us." He looked nervous.

"Don't worry! I'll take the blame. You were just coming along to make sure I don't get hurt." I said, winking slyly. "Life is nothing without a little bit of rebellion!" He looked at me unsurely, but then a huge smile spread across his face.

"Okay then, let's go get a penguin!"

* * *

" _Oomph!_ " Aang grunted as he failed to tackle a penguin. "C'mon little guy! I just want to ride you!" He complained. I laughed as he ran around trying to get a penguin. I suddenly had a thought.

"Hey Aang! I'll teach you how to catch a penguin, if you help Katara learn water bending." He looked back at me from the floor.

"Deal! Only one problem, I'm an air bender, not a water bender. Isn't there someone who can teach Katara water bending in your tribe?" He questioned.

I sighed before saying, "No, the water benders of our tribe were wiped out years ago. Katara's the last one in the whole South Pole." I explained sadly.

Aang looked down as he said. "That's not right. A water bender needs to master water bending." He thought for a second before asking, "What about the Northern Tribe? There must be water benders who can teach her there."

"Probably, but we haven't had contact with them in years! Their on the other side of the _world_ for Pete's sake." I explained. In truth I was a little annoyed at our sister tribe. If they had sent some water benders when the fire nation attacked us then Katara wouldn't be the last water bender, she would have a master, and most of all Kaya would still be alive. I shook my head trying to rid it of the negative thoughts. _What's done is done._

"You forget! I have a flying bison, Appa and I could fly Katara there!" Aang said excitedly. I gasped.

"Really?! That would be amazing! We'll ask Katara when we get back!...And after she's done yelling at me." I remembered with a grimace.

"You've got a deal!" Aang said happily. I then remembered _my_ side of the deal.

"Okay! Time to catch a penguin! Catching penguins is simple. Observe." And I tossed him a fish from my pocket. We both laughed as Aang was mobbed by penguins. Then I went off to get my own penguin.

* * *

" _Wooooohooo!_ " I shouted as I shot off a ramp and over Aang's head. We raced around each other on penguins and shot off ramps getting high into the air. We zoomed into a tunnel and did all sorts of loop-d-loops. Aang suddenly shot ahead of me using air bending. I glared at his back.

"Cheater!" I yelled at him. He only laughed in response. Soon we shot out the exit and our rides slowed to a stop. We got off and thanked the penguins before looking in front of us.

"What's _that_?" Aang asked gaping and the ship sitting on top of large pillars of ice.

"That's a fire navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people." I explained darkly. He started to walk towards it, but I grabbed the back of his shirt.

"What are you doing? It could be booby trapped!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me oddly before saying, "Weren't you the one who told me to be a rebel?" He had a good point. "Besides, I doubt the fire nation would booby trap their own ship." He continued walking towards it, and I followed him. * _Sigh* Katara's gonna kill me now._

* * *

Once inside the ship, me and Aang looked in the rooms, and down the halls.

"Fancy ship." I whistled. We walked into a room full of weapons. Aang looked shocked as he walked to a spear and grabbed it. He held it gingerly with a confused look on his face.

"This ship was for war. It came here years ago when the fire nation began taking our water benders." I explained quietly.

"This doesn't make sense! What war? I have friends all over, even in the fire nation. There was no war! Why would the fire nation do this?" He sounded so lost and confused. But, I just stared back at him just as confused.

"What war? How could you not know! It's been this way for a hundred years!" Something was off. "How long were you _in_ that iceberg?"

"I dunno, a few days?" He replied, still looking at the spear. There was only one solution.

"Aang, I think it was more like _years_! A hundred to be exact."

He looked at me in disbelief. "No way! Do I look like 112 years old to you?" He barely looked 12 to me, but that's not the point.

"Think about it! It's the only explanation to why you have no idea about a 100 year war! Somehow you were in that iceberg the whole time." I explained. He looked at me in realization.

"100 years, I can't believe it." He said breathlessly. This was all way too weird for my little brain to handle. I just hugged him with a sympathetic look on my face, trying to comfort him. He didn't respond at first, but he soon hugged me back. Hiding a few tears in my parka.

After a few minutes we pulled away. Aang wiped his face some more.

"I'm sorry Aang. Maybe there's a bright side to all this." I said trying to be positive.

"Well I did get to meet you, Katara, and Sokka." He said happily. He then smiled gratefully at me. I returned the smile as I said, "C'mon old man, we have to get back before Katara blows a fuse." He laughed at me before nodding.

"Wait!" He yelled. "I haven't seen the control room yet! I want to see how it works!"

I sighed, "Okay, but we need to hurry back! The longer we're gone, the more painful my death." I shivered. We got to the front of the ship and looked around. We examined the controls and equipment while telling each other guesses about what they do.

As we were walking out Aang suddenly stepped on a wire. I gasped as I heard a loud canon shot from outside. We glanced at each other in horror.

"What was that you said about booby traps?" He looked at me with wide eyes. I was also inwardly freaking out, but first I just had to say, "The fire nation's freakin paranoid."

* * *

Prince Zuko glanced up as a large ball of fire flew in the distance. His eyes widened. _That's definitely from a fire nation ship!_ He quickly whipped out a telescope and zoomed in on the direction of the shot. He saw a small orange and yellow figure carrying a blue figure in the distance.

"The last air bender. Quite agile for his old age." He glared at the image. Turning to his men he shouted, "Wake my Uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar." Zuko looked into the telescope again as he watched the figures run. He followed their path and saw a small village.

"As well as his hiding place."

* * *

Me and Aang had gotten out of the ship as fast as we could. We ran back to the village. As we were nearing the entrance we saw that the whole village was waiting for us at the entrance.

"Uh-oh." I said to Aang. All the little kids of the tribe ran up to us happily.

"Yay! Aang and Kai are back!" They all exclaimed happily. I was secretly preparing to use the wall of toddlers as cover for my escape. Just as I was about to book it, Katara suddenly appeared and wrapped me in a hug.

"I told you to wait for me! What if you'd gotten hurt?!" She exclaimed as I pried her off of me.

"I'm fine Katara! I had Aang looking out for me." _Oops, wrong thing to say_. I realized as Katara turned her glare to Aang.

"You shouldn't have let her go without me!"

Aang flinched back, and looked down in guilt.

"Don't blame Aang! I made him go with me! I was gonna go with or without him, so I told him that he should come with me if he wanted to look after me." I explained to her. Katara's glare softened as she let out a sigh, and then quickly hugged me again before stepping away.

Sokka suddenly stepped out of the crowd of villagers.

"I knew it! You signaled the fire nation with that flare! You're leading them right to us aren't you?" Sokka accused Aang.

"Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident!" I shouted.

"Yeah, we were on this ship and there was a booby trap. We…well we boobied right into it." Aang said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Gran Gran glared at me. "Kai you should know better! You know you're not allowed on that ship, now we could all be in danger." I looked away, pretty mad at myself. But, I would never let her know that.

Aang tried to bail me out. "Don't blame Kai! I convinced her to go with me. It was my fault." Sokka jumped at this.

"Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy! The foreigner is banned from our tribe." He said.

 _Who died and made you king of the ice cap?_ I thought angrily. He had no right to banish Aang from anything! Luckily Katara thought so too.

"Sokka you're making a mistake!" She insisted. Glad she's on our side now.

Sadly Sokka was stubborn and pig-headed. "No, I'm keeping my promise to dad. I'm protecting you and Kai from threats like him!" He pointed an accusing finger at Aang.

"Aang is not a threat!" Katara yelled. Sokka just stared disbelievingly at her.

"He already put Kai in danger by taking her on that ship, he signaled the fire nation, and you want to _defend_ him?" I rolled my eyes at his accusation of putting me in danger. Katara shot me a glare as she said,

"Oh, I'm plenty mad at _both_ of them," Cue the flinch, "but Kai is her own person Sokka. It's not like Aang tied her hands behind her back and _forced_ her to get on the ship. And they already said the flare was an accident, I doubt either of them meant to set it off."

"Thank you!" I shouted, happy that someone finally admitted that I could make my own choices. She and Sokka just glared at me.

"Sokka, please don't banish Aang. He's the first friend I've had in a long time. You and Katara don't count, you guys are my siblings. I haven't had fun like this since we were little." I told him honestly, hoping that he'd be sympathetic.

Sokka's glare softened for a second, before hardening again and he said, "Sorry Kai, but you can't fight the fire nation with fun."

"You should try it sometimes." Aang replied. I grimaced. _Bad timing._ Sokka just glared harder.

"Fine then! If he's banished so am I! C'mon Aang!" I shouted walking away. I grabbed Aang and Katara's hands as I walked by them. "You too Katara! Aang's taking you to get a water bending master!" This is my version of 'asking'.

"He is-?"

"I am-?"

"Great!" They both shouted simultaneously. Oh good, Katara's coming. I can't cook to save my life.

"Katara! Kai! Would you really choose him over your own family? Katara, would you willingly take Kai knowing the risks?" Sokka questioned.

I paused guiltily. This was the place that took me in when I had no where else. This was the home I grew up in. Me and Katara both stopped walking and glanced at each other. Aang decided for us.

"I don't want to get in between you and your family. I'll just go." Aang said sadly. He walked up to Appa and hopped on. I watched him sadly, knowing I had to stay here.

"Where will you go?" Katara asked. He looked at her thoughtfully before saying,

"I guess I'll go back to the Southern air temple. Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in 100 years. Not looking forward to that." I smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood. Aang looked at me with a sad smile.

"Thanks for hanging out with me Kai. I haven't had a friend in a long time either." We smiled at each other before Sokka decided to butt in.

"Let's see your bison fly now." He said sarcastically. I glared at him.

"C'mon Appa, you can do it! Yip yip!" Appa groaned and only stood up.

"I thought so." I decided to start ignoring Sokka now. A small girl ran up by my side.

"Aang, don't go! I'll miss you." She said, close to tears. Aang just looked at her sadly.

"I'll miss you too." He replied, but he looked at me and Katara as he said it. Then he and Appa walked away. I just watched as they slowly disappeared behind a snow mound. Gran Gran came up to me and Katara.

"I know you girls are upset, but this is for the best-." I cut off Gran Gran.

"Are you happy now? There goes my first friend! And Katara's only hope of getting a master!" I angrily stomped off, not wanting to hear excuses. I vaguely heard Katara also shouting angrily. I stared out into the distance.

 _Goodbye Aang…_

* * *

Everyone in the village began to prepare for the fire nation to arrive. Sokka, being the only man, was putting on his war paint. _I don't see why he wastes time doing that. What? Does he want to go into battle looking good or something?_ I rolled my eyes. Sokka grabbed a spear and was now standing watch on the wall. _I can't stand here doing nothing!_ I had to help in some way. I looked around our house, hoping that I could use something to my advantage.

I walked into Hakoda's old room. I knew he should've left some weapons lying around. I noticed a small box near his bedside. Walking over to it, I grabbed it and inspected the small container. I unlocked the hatch and opened it. Lying inside was a beautiful dagger. Unlike most of the weapons in the South Pole, it was made of actual metal instead of bone. It had a curved blade that had a glow to it under the firelight. It had a finely crafted handle with some inscriptions on it. _We Choose Our Own Destinies._ Huh, go figure. I carefully hid the dagger in my parka and put the box back. Now I had a way to help defend my home. I walked out confidently.

I walked to the edge of the village near the wall. Sokka was watching the waters intensely. The villagers were all looking around fearfully.

All of a sudden a loud * _CRACK*_ was heard. Everyone immediately stilled as they waited with bated breaths. Then the ground started quacking, with the cracking noises getting closer. Sokka's newly rebuilt watchtower decided to fall over again. _Hah! Deserved!_ I gleefully looked at the now ruined watchtower. Sokka however was less than pleased.

"Oh man!" He complained.

Then suddenly a giant, looming figure appeared through the fog, covering the village in its shade. It easily was 3 times higher than the measly wall. I watched in horror as a large crack ran through the middle of the village. Me and Katara hurriedly pushed people into their tents and igloos. I breathed out a sigh of relief as Katara saved the last child and put him into the tent. But, my horror returned as I realized that Sokka still hadn't moved. _That idiot! He's going to be crushed!_ Katara apparently had the same thought.

" _Sokka! Get out of the way!"_

Sokka just glared at the ship and stood his ground. Just as he was about to get run over, the ice wall beneath him crumbled, and the snow carried him further away. Then, the ship stopped. The villagers slowly came out of hiding as we all watched the ship. Suddenly the front part of the ship lowered, nearly squishing Sokka. 5 figures appeared from the ship. All wearing armor. As they began to walk down the plank, Sokka decided to stupidly attack.

"AHHHH!" He ran at the men…and was promptly kicked in the head, and into the snow. I smacked my head at the ridiculous display. The men just continued forward. They stopped in front of the gathered village.

The one in the front looks like the youngest. I'm pretty sure he's a teenager. He glared at all of us, but he looked like he was looking for something. As his eyes reached mine, I glared my hardest at him hoping he would spontaneously combust. His glare just intensified in turn. Katara realized the glaring contest going on and pulled me to stand slightly behind her. The teenager just turned his glare at her before asking,

"Where is he?" He looked between all of us again as if this _He_ would suddenly appear. I was confused. _He?_ The only 'he' here was my brother, and the little ones. But, he obviously was looking for something different.

"I know you're hiding him." Like saying that was making it any better, I rolled my eyes.

He just glared at me once again, but his eyes shifter to Gran Gran. Then, faster than I could react, he reached forward and grabbed her by the hood of her parka, pulling her to him. My glare intensified. _Oh heck naw, you don't treat someone's Gran Gran like that!_

"He's about this age! Master of all 4 elements?" He shook her a little. I thought the guy must be very misled. He's describing the Avatar. The Avatar's been gone for 100 years…wait. Something sounds familiar. But, before I could think more on it, the guy yelled in anger and gave Gran Gran a shove into Katara's arms. _Too far_. I glared at him. I wasn't going to sit there and watch as he literally pushed my family around!

"Hey angry guy! Cool it! How would you like it if I came up to you and grabbed you by your ponytail and-!" Katara quickly put her hand over my mouth as I continued to yell angrily at the stranger. He glared at me and began to stalk forward. _As if you scare me!_ I thought. Sokka stopped his approach though as he ran at him again. This time Sokka actually flew through the air and landed on his butt. I would've laughed under different circumstances. He gave an angry grunt as he rolled away from a blast of fire. He quickly threw his boomerang at the stranger but it missed. One of the toddlers shouted at Sokka,

"Show no fear!" and promptly tossed him a spear. _Do we just leave weapons lying out or something?_ If a small child could easily access a weapon, we really need to reevaluate our choices.

Sokka rushed at the stranger, who just broke the spear twice with his wrists, grabbed the spear, poked Sokka in the head, then threw the remains of the spear into the ground. Sokka just glared at him from the ground, rubbing his injured head. I saw a gleam in the distance before suddenly, it was the fire bender that was holding his head.

"Yeah! Take that you-!" Katara promptly replaced her hand on my mouth.

I guess he got mad. Fire daggers appeared in his hands as he glowered at us. All of a sudden, something flew beneath his legs, causing him to fly backwards and fall on his face. I laughed when I saw his helmet fall on top of his bum.

I looked at what had caused this and quickly tackled said object.

"Aang! You're back!" I yelled happily. He just hugged me back before releasing me and waving at us.

"Hey Kai, hey Katara, Hey Sokka."

"Hi Aang, thanks for coming." Sokka replied glumly. Katara also ran up and hugged Aang before backing up.

The fire benders surrounded Aang preparing to fight. Aang air bended giant waves of snow at them before asking,

"Looking for me?" The teenager just stared back at Aang, disbelief on his face.

"You're the air bender? _You're_ the Avatar?!" Everyone stared at him in awe.

"Aang?" Katara whispered.

"No way…" Sokka stared gaping.

I just snapped my fingers in realization. _That's why it sounded familiar!_ It made so much sense. The hot headed teen started circling Aang.

"I spent years training for this. Meditating. You're just a child!" He sounded gipped. Aang just looked back confused.

"Well you're just a teenager." I smacked my head. Again with the badly timed comments. The fire bender apparently thought so too, as he began attacking Aang with blasts. Aang yelped in surprise before swirling his staff and deflecting the flames. On the third shot the fire rebounded and almost burned some of the villagers. Aang looked on in horror. He stopped swirling his staff and asked the teenager.

"If I go with you, do you promise to leave the village alone?" He questioned. I gasped in horror. _No._

The stranger just lowered his hands and nodded. Two fire nation soldiers grabbed Aang and his staff. They began walking him away. Katara yelled out.

"No Aang! Don't do this!"

He sadly looked back and said, "Don't worry Katara, it'll be okay." But, I wasn't going to sit by and watch my friend get taken away. Before anyone could stop me, I ran out to the men holding Aang. I kicked one guy in the back of his knees, making him fall before I twirled around his helmet so he couldn't see, and kicked his face into the snow. I then decided to take the other guy out quicker and promptly kicked him in his no-no zone. _Gotta get 'em where it hurts!_ Before I could do anymore damage, I was suddenly picked up by my parka and thrown into the snow, I looked back at my attacker and saw a very angry teen.

"You are getting on my last nerve!" He shouted in my face. Katara gasped in horror as she finally processed what had happened.

" _No!_ Don't you dare hurt her!" She yelled at him. Her and Sokka were trying to wrestle out of the villager's hands which were holding them back. "Kai!" Sokka was yelling.

The teen glanced at my siblings before turning a thoughtful look at me. He came to a decision.

"You're coming with me." He said.

"No! You promised that you would leave everyone alone!" Aang yelled at the teenager. He just looked back at Aang before explaining.

"No, I said that I'd leave the village alone. This girl is obviously fire nation." Everyone gaped at him, including me. _Fire nation?_ He looked at everyone confused.

"The black hair? The amber eyes? Key traits in the fire nation? None of you ever figured that out?" He questioned. I looked at him in horror. _What? I'm from...the fire nation? He_ apparently didn't care either way.

"No matter, I'll put it in easier terms for you. This girl is now my insurance. She'll make sure you don't try anything on my ship. Unless, you don't care what happens to her?" Suddenly, fire was alarmingly close to my face. I flinched and tried to get away, but he had grabbed my arm and was holding me down.

"No no, I'll go with you!" Aang said as he realized the situation I was in. The teen merely nodded again before personally leading me to the ship. He stuck two more soldiers on Aang, and got some others to carry his wounded men on board.

Meanwhile, Katara and Sokka were nearing hysterics.

" _No! You can't take her! Kai!"_ They were yelling behind me. I wanted to look back, to assure them I'd be okay, but Flambo had a steady grip on me and wouldn't let me turn. A few tears fell down my face once the boat was closed up, and reality crashed down on me.

* * *

The room I was in was surprisingly nice. It had a bed and everything. The only thing that let me know I was a prisoner was the locked door. I huffed as I sat on the bed. I rolled over, but I felt something odd in my parka. Reaching in I grabbed the offending object and pulled it out. My eyes widened as I pulled out the dagger. _I completely forgot about this! Stupid!_ I smacked my face. This could've helped! I could've…could've what? Stabbed him? I shook my head, I could never stab someone. I sighed as I put the weapon back into my parka. It probably wouldn't have helped much in hindsight.

I jumped in surprise as my door suddenly opened. In walked the angry guy, who had Aang's staff, followed by an elderly man. They both walked in and looked over me carefully. I shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. They continued to stare until I snapped.

"What do you want flame brain?" I glared at him. He looked startled for a second before looking at me, not amused.

"..." I rolled my eyes at his silence.

"Dude, you've got serious anger issues. Would you rather be hot head?" I questioned with a raised brow. He glared at me. He looked like he was going to say something, but then a laugh stopped him.

"She's got you there nephew!" The man laughed jovially. For the fire nation, this guy didn't seem too bad. He looked at me with a kind smile on his face.

"Forgive my nephew's rudeness. He must not have introduced himself. This is Prince Zuko. My name is Iroh, but for a funny young lady like you, you can call me Uncle!" Scratch that, Iroh was a _very_ nice person. Zuko apparently disagreed.

"Uncle! Stop treating her as a guest! And she can't call you that! She's just a peasant!" I glared at the _peasant_ comment. _This is why I hate royalty._

"Hush Prince Zuko. I like her. Anyways, I can see that she is clearly fire nation. Who knows? She could come from nobility." Iroh mused. There was that fire nation thing again.

"What're you talking about? I can't be fire nation!" I exclaimed. They both just stared at me.

"My dear, you have the fire nation's signature black hair and amber eyes. Those traits can't come from anywhere but the fire nation." Iroh explained gently. I looked down and grabbed my head. I'm so confused. Iroh noticed my discomfort and gingerly placed his hand on my shoulder before beginning to ask me questions.

"Where were you born?"

"I…don't really know. I was…um, found on an abandoned merchant ship when I was a baby." I responded. Iroh merely nodded.

"Do you have anything that was with you when you were found?"

I thought about it before remembering my necklace. I reached into my parka and pulled it out.

"This was on my neck when I was found. I've worn it ever since." I explained. Iroh grabbed the medallion before carefully examining the symbols. He just glanced at the fire symbol before nodding and saying,

"This shows your fire nation heritage. Things like this are commonly worn by merchants and travelers to display their nationality." He said. I looked down. _So it's true._ Zuko was merely observing this whole exchange. I had a thought.

"Wait, what about the other side?" I asked. I wanted to know what that meant as well. Iroh looked at me confused.

"There's more on the other side?" He flipped the necklace over. His eyes widened at the image on the back.

"The White Lotus." He whispered. This time I looked at him confused. _White Lotus?_ Zuko merely rolled his eyes.

"Uncle, now is not the time to be interested in your favorite game piece."

Iroh was broken out of his reverie by his nephew's comment.

"Oh yes! My apologies nephew! This mark just made me think about it. It's nothing; this is probably just the signature of the creator." He laughed nervously. But, he looked back at me with a curious look on his face.

"Apologies nephew, but I'm tired. I shall head to bed now." Zuko looked at him confused, but nodded anyways. Iroh walked away, glancing back at me at the doorway before leaving completely. _Weird_. Zuko looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly we heard a loud slam. He headed to the door, about to check the hallways, when *bam*! The door flew open hitting Zuko and slamming him into the ground. I looked up to the doorway with wide eyes, then I sighed in relief.

"Aang!" I shouted. He looked at me with a huge smile on his face.

"Kai! I found you!" He quickly ran to me and pulled me into a hug. We released each other before running to leave the room. On the way out Aang grabbed his staff, and hit Zuko with an air blast one more time, just for good measure. We ran out onto the deck, and I frantically looked around. _How are we gonna get out of here!_ Thank goodness for Appa.

I looked into the sky and let out a yell of excitement as I saw my siblings flying towards Aang and I on Appa. Suddenly Zuko ran out onto the deck and started shooting fire at us. I quickly ducked down, but he was focusing on Aang. He kept shooting fire at Aang until they were on the edge of the boat. Aang got hit. I yelled as he flew over the edge.

" _Aang!"_ Katara and I both shouted out. I looked down at the water and gasped as I saw something glow beneath the surface. Suddenly Aang shot back out of the water on a giant geyser of water. His tattoos glowed as he wiped the deck of soldiers before setting down on the deck. He stopped glowing and fell forward with a groan. I ran over to him and made sure he was okay.

Katara and Sokka landed and jumped off Appa. They ran towards us and pulled me into a tight hug before checking on Aang as well.

"Hey Katara, hey Sokka. Thanks for coming." Aang said groggily.

Sokka smirked, "Well I couldn't let you have all the glory. Besides, you really think I'd let my sister be taken by Prince creepy? Yeah right." I smiled at that.

"I dropped my staff."

"I got it!" Sokka ran over to the fallen staff by the side of the boat. As he was bringing it back to us, a hand shot out from the side of the boat, and Sokka looked freaked out. Zuko was trying to pull himself up using the staff. Sokka hit him on the head, taking revenge from earlier, and Zuko fell back down.

"Hah! That's from the Water tribe!" He shouted smugly.

Meanwhile, Katara and I pulled Aang onto Appa's head. I climbed on, but just as Katara was going to the soldiers regained consciousness and started walking to her. She took a deep breath and water bended a small stream out of the water left by Aang. Just as she was preparing her attack she threw her arms back then forwards, only to freeze Sokka's feet to the boat behind her.

"Katara!" Sokka began using his boomerang as an ice pick to free himself. Katara turned around and did the same thing, this time actually freezing her targets behind her. She quickly jumped on Appa before shouting back at Sokka.

"Sokka, hurry up!"

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying, and magic!" He grumbled as he finally freed himself. He joined us on Appa before shouting, "Yip yip! Yip yip!" We flew into the air just as Iroh stepped onto the deck yawning and looking at us in curiosity. I just waved at him. He laughed and waved back before helping Zuko back onto the ship.

"Shoot them down!" I heard Zuko yell. A large ball of fire was now flying at us. Aang jumped onto Appa's back and, with a loud grunt, set an air blast at the fireball redirecting it to the ice walls surrounding us. It hit the wall, and we all laughed as the fire nation ship was buried in snow as we flew away, free!

* * *

Zuko watched as the flying bison flew away from his now destroyed ship. His Uncle stepped up beside him.

"Good news for the Fire lord. The fire nation's biggest threat, is just a kid."

Zuko glared at his Uncle, "That _kid_ , just did this." He pointed the all the snow burying his ship. "I won't underestimate him again. Dig the ship out and follow him!" He looked back at his soldiers, who were working on melting out their companions.

"As soon as you're done with that."

* * *

"How did you do that! With the water, that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Katara yelled as we flew through the evening sky. Sokka just watched from the back, and I leaned against the side of the saddle.

"I don't know, I just sort of did it." Aang replied. He himself looked pretty confused. Katara decided to ask a different question.

"Aang, why didn't you tell us that you were the Avatar?" She asked gently. He looked down.

"Because, I never wanted to be." He kept his head down as he said this. I decided to try and lighten the mood.

" _Well_ , if you ask me it was pretty obvious! I mean c'mon! Air bender, trapped in an iceberg for 100 years? Makes sense. We're just idiots for not figuring it out. Well now I know how Sokka must feel every day." They laughed at me as Sokka cried out indignantly. Katara looked at me with an affectionate expression. She pulled me into another hug and sighed.

"I'm so glad you're okay, I would've missed you and your sarcasm."

"Oh so I'm only here for your entertainment?" I pouted. Sokka decided to join the hug.

"Of course. Why else would we keep a brat like you around?" He smirked as I lightly punched him. We all laughed. I looked back at Aang and gave him a hug too.

"Don't worry Aang, we'll always be here to support you."

He gave me a grateful smile before grimacing. "But the world's been waiting for me to end this war, how am I supposed to do that?" He questioned. Katara thought for a second before asking.

"Well according to legend; you first have to master water, then earth, then fire right?"

"That's what the monks told me."

Katara smiled. "Then if we go to the Northern Water tribe, you could master water!"

"We could learn it together!" He said excitedly. She turned to Sokka.

"And I'm sure you'll be able to knock a couple fire nation heads on the way."

"I'd like that, I'd _really_ like that." He said happily. Katara then turned to me.

"I'm still against you going, but I can't stop you now." I gave her a thumbs up for knowing me so well.

She sighed, "Well, you get to have lots of fun on the way. Then we're in this together." Aang suddenly pulled out a map.

"Okay, but before I master water bending we have to attend some serious business. Here, here, and here." He said pointing at spots on the map.

"What's here?" Katara asked pointing to a small island.

"Here's where we ride the hopping llamas. Then _way_ over here is where we surf on the backs of giant koi fish! Then back over here we'll ride the hog-monkeys. They don't like people riding on them, but that's what makes it fun!" Aang explained with a giant grin on his face. Katara and Sokka exchanged looks, but I just nodded along seriously to what he was saying.

 _This is gonna be awesome!_

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed my first ever fanfiction chapter! I'm going to do a chapter per episode. This was technically 2 episodes in one, so it'll be the longest one for a while. Again sorry about the quality. I hope I'll get better as time goes on. See you guys next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Southern Air temple

**Chapter 2: Southern Air Temple**

 **Hey guys! Here it is, the 2** **nd** **installation of the Legend of Kai. Since I'm doing this from Kai's point of view, I'm taking out the scenes of Iroh and Zuko unless she's there with them. But, if you guys want to see some more from their perspective, I could add in their scenes in later chapters Enjoy! –Cleo0421**

 **Also, to Silmarwen Losshelin, and Purplechic13: Thank you so much for the support! I'm glad you like Kai, and I hope that I can continue to write her character well. Also thanks for the tips! I hope that you continue to like the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, just Kai**

* * *

 _I sat in a dark room, silence all around me. Suddenly the room filled with an unearthly glow that was radiating from two figures that stood in front of me. On my left was a beautiful woman with eyes like the sun. She smiled warmly at me, and I gasped when I saw that her black hair was covered in flames. She wore a long, red dress that was covered in golden designs .It flowed behind her on the floor._

 _To my right was a tall man. He had orange and yellow robes flowing down his body and had a staff with intricate designs of animals in his right hand. The strangest thing about him was that he was blue. Not sad blue, but his skin was literally a greyish-blue color._

 _I just stared at him with my head tilted in confusion._

" _Were you born with blue skin, or did someone pull a prank on you with blue dye? I mean, I've done that before but at least I only dyed Sokka's hair. Not his entire body. That's just mean." I folded my arms in front of me as the blue guy only stared back, his eyes widened in disbelief._

 _A warm laugh filled the air and broke us out of our staring contest._

" _See! I knew there was a reason we picked her!" The red lady was keeled over in laughter while the blue guy just huffed at her._

" _I can't help that I was always blue! At least my hair's not constantly on fire!" He retorted. The lady just scoffed._

" _Oh please, that just shows how hot I am." She winked at him. I stared between the two in confusion. I hesitantly raised my hand._

" _Uh…excuse me? Sorry to interrupt, but who are you? And where am I?" I looked around me noticing that everything was still black. The two figures looked at each other before smiling kindly at me, looking much more dignified than they had a second ago. The lady walked up to me and put her hand on her shoulder._

" _My child, I'm sorry but I cannot explain everything yet. It is not time." She replied. I stared back in confusion._

" _Okay first of all, not your child. Second of all, can't I at least know a little? You can't expect me to accept getting no answers at all!" I threw my hands up in frustration. The blue guy stepped up to me._

" _You will know all when you're ready, but we can tell you who we are at least." He offered. I groaned, but nodded in acceptance. He pointed at himself._

" _I am known as Vayu, spirit of the winds. I am the deity of life." The woman then pointed at herself._

" _And I am Agni, the spirit of fire and rebirth. I am the immortal messenger of the spirits."_

I stared at the two of them in disbelief.

" _Okay…that's nice. What the hell do you guys want with me?" This was too weird. They merely smiled at me, but there was something sad in their eyes. Agni put her finger to her lips._

" _We can't tell you yet. I'm sorry." She hugged me. I shrugged uncomfortably._

" _Well I guess it's not your faults if you can't tell me. No reason to be sorry." She smiled at me sadly._

" _I wasn't apologizing for that. I'm sorry for all that you'll go through because of us, but you were the best choice. I believe you will accomplish your task." Okay, now I think she's been in the smoke too long. I have no idea what's she's talking about._

" _What? What's going to happen to me? What did you do? What task?!" I shouted, beyond frustrated. Vayu put his hand on me this time._

" _You are our_ आश्रितशूर. _Our Azrita Zura_ _ **(2),**_ _and it is time to wake up."  
_

* * *

I sat up in panic gasping. Pain shot through my head and I immediately grasped it. My body was wet with sweat and shaking. _What the spirits was that?! Oh…never mind they were spirits!_ I sighed as my panic receded, taking a deep breath.

"Kai? Are you okay?" I nearly screamed in fright as I heard a voice behind me. Turning around I saw Aang looking at me from Appa with concern in his eyes. Katara was sitting behind him, but when she heard his question she quickly got off Appa and sat by my side. She put her hands on my face and began to look me over. I gently grabbed her hands and pulled them off my face.

"I'm fine, just an…interesting dream." I gave them a thumbs-up trying to reassure them. I didn't know why I hid my dream from them, but I just felt that it wasn't the time to yet.

Aang seemed to accept my answer after a moments hesitation, but Katara stayed glued to my side.

"You know you can talk to me if something's wrong right?" She asked as she put her arm around me in a side-hug. I hid my face in her shoulder for comfort.

"I know. I just…can I just not talk about it? I'll tell you someday, I just can't today." I whispered into her shoulder knowing that she would hear. I felt her stiffen in suspicion before she relaxed.

"Alright. When you're ready to talk, I'll be here to listen." She kissed my head in sisterly affection as I nodded into her shoulder. I pulled away and gave her a smile. She returned the smile as she said,

"Now let's go wake up Sokka. We're heading out to the Southern air temple now." Aang heard this and excitedly jumped off of Appa.

"Sokka wake up! It's air temple time!" Aang shouted. I snorted. _Good luck, Sokka could sleep through the apocalypse._ As if to prove my point, Sokka just grumbled.

"Sleep now, air temple later…" He turned over onto his side. Aang just pouted, before a devious grin spread on his face. He picked up a stick and began moving the tip up and down Sokka's sleeping bag.

"Sokka wake up! There's a prickle-snake in your sleeping bag!" The reaction was instant. Sokka jumped up and started screaming, "Augh! Get it off!" before falling on his face.

We all started laughing at the sight. I fell onto the floor holding my gut. _Hahaha! I gotta remember that one!_ Aang just looked at Sokka innocently.

"Great you're up! Let's go!" Sokka grumbled, but slowly began to get up. I held my chin in thought.

"Hey Katara, where can I get a real snake?"

* * *

"Ugh! Are we there yet?" I whined. We had been flying for what felt like forever! I was going out of my mind. Sokka was searching the bags, and Katara was sitting by Aang in the front.

"Kai, I don't think that you asking that every five minutes is going to make us get there any faster." Katara rolled her eyes at my impatience. I pouted in response. _It was more like every 10 minutes!_ A loud grumble broke me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Sokka clutching his stomach.

"Be quiet stomach. I'm trying to find us food." He grabbed a small bag out of his pack and excitedly poured the contents into his hand. I laughed as he looked at his hand full of crumbs.

"Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?" He questioned. I grimaced. _Who named that stuff? Blubbered seal jerky? That doesn't sound the least bit appetizing._ Aang rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, that was food? I used it to start the fire last night, sorry." He said sheepishly. Sokka looked broken-hearted.

"You what?! Aw, no wonder the flames smelt so tasty last night." He pouted. I patted his back in sympathy. As we continued the flight I quickly got bored. A ridiculous tune suddenly appeared in my head. Who was I to keep it to myself?

"We're going on a trip,  
with our favorite bison ship,  
zooming through the sky!  
With little Kai!  
Climb on up,  
and join us on the run,  
from the angry guy!  
With little Kai!" **(1)**

I finished off my little tune with an air punch. Looking around I saw everyone looking at me like I had grown another head. I huffed and sat down. _No one appreciates art nowadays._ I was quickly distracted from my disappointment as tall mountains suddenly appeared through the fog.

"The Petola Mountain range! We're almost there!" Aang shouted excitedly.

"Yes! Finally!" I flopped onto my back with a giant sigh. Katara smiled at my theatrics before turning to Aang with a serious expression on her face.

"Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the air benders." She said. He just continued looking ahead before asking happily,

"What about them?" Katara looked down, but continued.

"Well, it's just that I want you to be prepared for what you might see. The fire nation is ruthless. They killed my mother; they could've done the same to your people." She explained.

I looked down at the reminder of Kaya, but then I remembered something when she mentioned the fire nation. _I still haven't told them about my heritage!_ I realized. _But, how am I going to tell them_? I was broken out of my thoughts as Aang said,

"Just because no one has seen any in 100 years doesn't mean that the fire nation got them all. They probably escaped!" He said with a frown on his face. I sighed at his denial.

"I know it's hard to accept, but-."Aang cut Katara off.

"No Katara, I don't think you understand. The only way for anyone to get to the temple is on a flying bison. And I doubt that the fire nation has any of those, right Appa?" Appa roared in response. Me and Katara just looked at each other and sighed, hoping that he would be right.

I looked around at everyone before sighing. _Now's as good of a time as any_.

"Hey guys…there's something you need to know." They all looked at me in confusion, before Katara asked,

"What is it Kai?"

I grabbed my necklace and took it off. I flipped it to the side with the flame.

"On the ship Zuko and Iroh, they were the ones that shot fire at us, came and explained what this meant. These are necklaces worn by merchants to display their nationality. My parents must've given me one of theirs. This is the symbol of fire." I sighed. "I'm from the fire nation."

I displayed my necklace to them and gauged their reactions. They all looked shocked and glanced at each other, and there was a silence. I looked down. _They're gonna hate me_. I thought sadly. I looked back up, and was shocked at the smiling faces I saw.

"Kai, it doesn't matter where you were born. You grew up with us, you're one of the kindest people I know, and you're my little sister. I think that trumps your original nationality." Katara said as she gave me a hug. Sokka merely nodded in agreement as he patted my shoulder. Aang looked at me with a smile.

"You're my friend Kai! Where you were born isn't going to change that."

I teared up at their acceptance, and buried my face in Katara's shoulder hugging her tightly. We sat there hugging for a few minutes before I pulled away wiping my eyes.

"Thanks guys, you're the best." I was so relieved that they didn't hate me. Then all our attention was suddenly drawn away as Appa started speeding upwards to clear a mountain top. I nearly fell off, but Sokka put his hand on my back and pushed me down on the saddle. We finally cleared the top and gasped as the fog cleared up ahead.

"There it is! The Southern air temple!" Aang pointed at a beautiful structure on top of a high mountain. We all gaped.

"Aang it's amazing!" Katara gasped. Aang just looked fondly at the structure.

"We're home buddy, we're home." Of course, I just had to break the moment.

"They're so…pointy."

* * *

Aang and I ran ahead of Sokka and Katara. We raced each other to the top of the trail, laughing as Aang cheated using air bending. We reached the end and I took in the amazing view. I heard Sokka and Katara approaching us.

"-guy with simple needs!" I heard Sokka say. I rolled my eyes. _Probably something about food_. I waved them over to us as Aang began to point things out.

"Over there is where me and my friends played air ball! And over there is where the bison would sleep. And…" Aang let out a sad sigh. Katara looked at him concerned.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Aang just continued looking out at the field before saying,

"This place used to be filled with monks, lemurs, and bison. Now it's just full of weeds. I can't believe how much things have changed." He stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the field. Katara, Sokka, and I exchanged worried glances. Sokka stepped up and asked,

"So this air ball game, how do you play?"

* * *

Sokka stood on a pole in front of a goal with a target painted on the front. He got in a ready stance as Aang stood at the other end. He held a ball in his hands and began using air bending to spin it rapidly. He suddenly tossed it into the air before using an air powered kick to send it flying. It ricocheted off of different poles before hitting Sokka and making both him and the ball fly through the goal. Aang and I both laughed.

"Aang 7, Sokka 0!" Aang shouted of the score. Sokka grumbled something in the background, but I just ran up and climbed onto a pole.

"I want to try!" I shouted. It looked fun, and if Sokka could handle it so could I!

"Alright! But I won't go easy on you!" Aang responded. He began preparing the ball for another serve. As he hit it towards me, time seemed to slow down. I watched the ball flying towards me, and I got the instinct to kick my leg out. I lifted my leg and reeled it back in preparation. I felt a sensation in my gut as I kicked my leg out just as the ball reached me. I hit it with as much power as I could. It shot of my leg and rebounded towards Aang. He obviously wasn't expecting this as he stared at the ball with wide eyes. It hit him in the gut as he flew off the pole. It missed the goal though. I gasped and quickly ran to Aang's side.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened I just sort of, hit it! Are you okay?" I grabbed his arm and helped him up. He rubbed his stomach for a second before looking up at me with awe on his face.

"That was awesome! I wasn't expecting you to be able to do that so well! And that power, it was almost as if you were an air bender!" He shouted happily. I just laughed and shook it off, glad that he was okay.

"Beginner's luck I guess." I shrugged. He laughed.

"I guess you took all of Sokka's share too."

"Of course! Fate had to give it to somebody, why waste it on that knucklehead?" We shared a laugh and began walking back up the hill.

"Aang, there's something you need to see!" We heard Katara shout. We began running to the scene.

"Okay! What is it?" Aang asked as he tossed the ball around in his hands. As we neared, I saw Katara water bend some snow over Sokka. I laughed as he struggled to get out. Luckily we had put our parkas back on.

"Oh, I just wanted to show you a new water bending trick." I raised my eyebrow at that. Katara was acting suspicious. Aang just shrugged it off.

"Nice one, but enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!" I shrugged off my suspicion before running after Aang.

 _Into the temple we go!_

* * *

Aang and I ran into the main courtyard. I began looking around at the statues in curiosity before stopping in front of the one in the center. Aang noticed where I was looking and ran over shouting back at Katara and Sokka.

"Hey guys! There's someone I want you to meet." We all gathered by the statue as Aang introduced him.

"This is Monk Gyatso, the greatest air bender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang bowed to the statue for a minute, before standing again with a glaze in his eye. Katara put her hand on his shoulder.

"You must miss him a lot." She said sympathetically. Aang merely nodded.

"Yeah." He began walking up the steps into the temple.

"Where are you going?" I asked him. He turned back slightly before answering,

"The air temple sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet."

We looked at each other before following him inside.

* * *

We were walking down a hallway before stopping in front of a giant door. It had 2 tubes running along the sides that went into 3 swirls in the center. I looked at the symbol curiously. _Where have I seen that before?_

"But Aang, no one could've survived in there for 100 years." Katara said, breaking me out of my thoughts. Aang merely shrugged.

"It's not impossible. I survived in the iceberg for that long."

"Good point." She agreed. Aang looked at the door excitedly.

"Katara, whoever's in there might be able to help me with this whole Avatar thing!" Sokka then decided to interject.

"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!" He started drooling. Me and Katara looked at him unimpressed. He ran at the door…and promptly ran into it. I fell on the floor laughing.

"Run first, open doors later! Right Sokka?" I managed to say through my laughs. Sokka huffed at me before asking Aang for a key.

"The key, is air bending." Aang answered. He got in a stance and took a deep breath. He pushed his hands forward while letting the breath go. Two streams of air flowed from his hands and into the two tubes. One by one the 3 swirls flipped over, and the door opened.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Aang walked into the dark chamber. Katara and Sokka following him a second later. I stopped by the doors and looked at the symbols again. I snapped. _Oh yeah!_ I grabbed my necklace from inside my parka and flipped it over. There, on the other side, was the image of the 3 swirls surrounded by the flower. _I think Iroh called it a White Lotus._ I stared at the symbols. _But, Iroh said that this showed the nationality of the merchants! So what does this mean?_ I shook my head. I could think on it later. I ran to catch up with the others.

* * *

Inside the room we didn't find meat, much to Sokka's dismay, but we did find statues.

"Who are all these people?" Katara asked. She and Aang were looking at some of the statues.

"I don't know, but I feel like I know them somehow. Look an air bender!" Aang pointed at a tall air bender with a mustache. Katara pointed to the one next to it.

"And look! This one's a water bender!" The statue had what looked like a wolf cloak on. I looked to the next statues, eyes widening in realization.

"They go in a pattern; air, water, earth, fire!" I pointed to the four in front of us.

"That's the Avatar cycle." Aang announced. Katara's eyes widened.

"Of course! They're Avatars! These people are your past lives Aang!" Aang looked around in wonder.

"Wow! There's so many!" He walked to stand in front of a fire nation Avatar. I stood next to him and looked into the statues face. I could vaguely hear Katara and Sokka talking behind us, but my attention was drawn to the statue. There was something familiar about his face. I felt as if I knew him somehow.

"Kai! Aang! Snap out of it!" I snapped back to reality as Katara started shaking our shoulders.

"Huh?" Aang and I responded very intelligently. Still looking at the statue. Katara joined us.

"Who is that?" She asked. Somehow, a name popped into my mind and out my mouth before I could even think about it.

"That's Roku." I said. Aang followed after.

"The Avatar before me." He finished. Katara just stared at the two of us. Aang also stared at me.

"There's no inscription. How do you know his name?" She asked us, pointing at the statue.

"I don't know how, I just know it." Aang smiled, but turned to me. He looked at me confused before asking.

"But how do _you_ know? I have an Avatar connection, but how do you know his name?" I just shrugged at the question.

"I have no idea. It just popped out of my mouth." I answered honestly. This was so weird. Aang thought for a second.

"Maybe you have some sort of spiritual connection to Roku? It's been said to happen before. Since you're fire nation, maybe Roku's a distant relative?" We both shrugged at each other. Sokka just groaned.

"You guys couldn't get any weirder."

Suddenly we heard footsteps behind us. We all turned around and saw a shadow with two large points on its head. Katara, Aang, and Sokka hid behind statues. I heard Sokka say, "Fire bender!" I just stared at the shadow. _Even with their pointy helmets, that looks nothing like a fire bender's shadow! Unless this one has giant horns. *Gasp* it's a demon!_ I stepped closer to where the shadow was coming from. Sokka noticed my absence and glanced around the statue he was behind. His eyes widened as he noticed me.

"Kai! Get over here!" He shouted urgently. I rolled my eyes at his unneeded concern. I saw a figure in the doorway. Katara and Aang also peeked around their statue, and saw me.

" _Kai!_ Get over here this instant!" Geez, bossy much? I shook my head at Katara's command. The figure in the doorway looked like some small creature.

"But you guys! It's just a little animal!" I shouted at them. They finally looked closer at the creature, Aang's eyes widened as he shouted,

"Lemur!" Sokka had other ideas.

"Dinner!" _Ew, he's drooling._ I grimaced at the sight. The lemur, obviously sensing my brother's intentions, ran out the way he came.

"No! Wait!" Immediately Aang chased after the poor guy, Sokka right behind him. Me and Katara just looked at each other and sighed. _Boys._

* * *

Katara and I had stayed behind in the chamber. We were examining different ones. All of a sudden, their eyes began to glow. The chamber was filled with light as the hundreds of Avatars lit up. We gasped.

"Aang!" We immediately ran out of the room and looked around for any sign of him or Sokka. I pulled Katara's arm as I pointed to a room across the path that had wind blowing all around it. That looked like the center of it all. We ran there and saw Aang in a giant, floating air ball. Sokka was holding onto a piece of a brick wall, trying to not get blown off the mountain. We crouched down and slowly crawled over to him.

"What happened?!" I yelled over the noise. Sokka looked back.

"He found out the fire benders were here and killed Monk Gyatso!" He shouted back. I gasped. This was news to me. Katara just nodded.

"Oh no! It's his Avatar spirit. He must've triggered it somehow! We need to calm him down!" She started getting closer to Aang. Me and Sokka were barely holding on to the brick.

"Well hurry before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka yelled as his feet began to leave the floor. I pleaded with him.

"Yes please! I rather like being alive, and not a splat on the floor!" _Oh, I can just see it now! I'll become a famous relic! 'And over to your left folks you'll see the amazing Kai Pancake. Last remainder of a tiny 12 year old!_ While Sokka and Katara were bigger and had more weight, (and no I'm not calling Katara fat), I was tiny and my whole body was in the air. Katara started trying to talk to Aang.

"Aang I know you're upset! And I know what it feels like to lose someone you love! I went through the same thing when my mom died. Gyatso and the other air benders may be gone! But, you still have a family! Sokka, Kai, and I! We're your family now!" As she said this, Aang lowered to the ground and the wind slowly stopped. I fell to the ground, luckily not the ground hundreds of feet below us. We all walked up to Aang.

"We're not gonna let anything happen to you. Promise." Sokka told Aang. Katara grabbed Aang's hand, and I put my hand on his shoulder. He stopped glowing and fell forwards. Katara caught him.

"I'm sorry." Aang whispered. Katara shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault." He looked down in sadness.

"But you were right. And if fire benders found this temple, they found the other ones too. I really am the last air bender." His eyes filled with tears, and Katara just hugged him tighter. I looked down at my necklace. _Maybe the last air bender, but maybe not the last from the air nations_.

* * *

"Everything's packed. Ready to go?" Me and Katara approached Aang. He was looking at the statue of Roku.

"How's Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?" He asked. I thought about it.

"I know you'll find a way." Katara assured him.

"Maybe it'll be some sort of Avatar connection? If it is it'll probably be through something weird. Like 'possessing and talking to you through a lemur' weird." I shivered. Katara and Aang laughed at the ridiculous image. We heard footsteps behind us, and turned to find the lemur again. He walked over to Sokka before dropping off an armful of fruit. Sokka immediately started chowing down. Aang smiled.

"Looks like you made a new friend Sokka!" He just looked up with a crazed look in his eye.

"Can't talk. Must eat." He went back to his food. I grimaced.

"Mind not doing both at the same time? Gross." Katara and Aang laughed at my response. The lemur crawled onto Aang's head.

"Hey there little guy." I walked up to the lemur and inspected him closely.

"Are you possessed?"

* * *

"You, me, and Appa. We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together. Kai, Katara, Sokka. Meet the newest addition to the family." Aang said, petting the small lemur on his arm.

"What are you going to name him?" Katara asked. The lemur suddenly jumped off Aang's arm, grabbed the fruit out of Sokka's hand, and began eating it once back on Aang's arm.

"Momo." He announced. We all laughed at Sokka's open mouth.

* * *

"Hey, Aang?" I asked him. We were back on Appa and flying through the night sky. Katara and Sokka were asleep, but Aang was looking back at the temple with Momo at his side. He turned to me and asked,

"Yeah?"

I fiddled with my necklace. I had been thinking this whole time about what it could mean, and I think I might've come up with a solution.

"There's something I found out back at the temple." I showed him the side of my necklace with the air symbol.

"This necklace is supposed to symbolize my heritage. If the symbol of air is on this side, it could be possible that I'm a descendant of an air nomad. Maybe one escaped and fell in love with someone from the fire nation. And if one escaped, maybe there's more out there in hiding." His eyes widened at my revelation. I continued.

"I just thought you should know that it's a possibility, but I don't want you to get your hopes up just in case." I admitted. He just nodded, but looked at me with a smile.

"Descendant of an air nomad or not, you're still family. But, it would be even cooler if you were from the air nation as well." He hugged me excitedly, and I hugged him back. Aang fell asleep soon after. But, my mind was still racing. I thought about my dream and my necklace.

 _Who am I?_ I questioned, but I simply shrugged and nodded with a resolute fact in my mind.

 _I'm freakin Kai. And I'm awesome._

* * *

 **(1): For anyone that didn't get the song reference. Kai's singing a parody of the Little Einstein's theme song. If you don't know the then you should look it up!**

 **(2): Also with the Azrita Zura thing that will be explained later**

 **End of Chapter 2! Hope you guys enjoyed it. Next chapter should be out in a couple days!**


	3. Chapter 3: Kyoshi Island

**Chapter 3: Kyoshi Island**

 **Here you go! The 3** **rd** **installation of Legend of Kai, sorry that this one took a little longer! With finals coming up my chapters are probably going to take a little longer to write until they're over. Hope you enjoy! –Cleo0421  
**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, just Kai**

* * *

"You…have no idea where we're going, do you?" Sokka asked. We had been flying for hours over the ocean. We had stopped by multiple islands, but apparently not the right ones. Sokka was looking at a map, Katara was sewing his pants, Aang was steering, and me? I was currently trying to not get nauseous at the sight of Sokka without pants.

"Well I know it's near water." Aang stated, distracting me from my disgust. I looked over the saddle, and saw miles of water in every direction below us. That made me think. _Was there a flying school for bison at the air temples? How the heck did Aang know where to go? Was this just a 'guess and check' sort of thing?_ Sokka joined me in looking at the water.

"Well, we must be close then." He said sarcastically. Aang ignored his comment and stared at Katara with a smile on his face.

"Momo, marbles please." Momo quickly climbed into his shirt and came out with marbles in his hand. My eyes widened. _Where did he…? Never mind, I don't want to know._

"Hey Katara, check out this air bending trick!" Aang separated his hands and used his bending to swirl the marbles at rapid speeds between them. Katara just kept sewing.

"That's great Aang." Aang frowned, and stopped spinning the marbles.

"But, you didn't even look." Katara paused, and looked up.

"That's great!" I rolled my eyes at her forced enthusiasm.

"But, I'm not doing anything anymore." Aang just sounded even more dejected. I patted him sympathetically on the back. Sokka waved him off.

"Stop bugging her air-head. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing." Katara and I glared at him.

"What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?" Katara asked dangerously. I nodded, and raised my eyebrow at him.

"Yes Sokka, please enlighten us with your nonexistent knowledge of the workings of life." I said sarcastically. Sokka glared at me.

"Simple. Girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting, fighting, and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things." He smirked. I glared at him. _Oh no he didn't_. Katara found this as unamusing as me. She held up Sokka's pants.

"All done with your pants! And look what a great job I did!" She threw the pants at his face. He held them up with a look of horror on his face.

"Katara I was just joking! I can't wear these, Katara please!" She just ignored him and his pleas. Aang tried to cheer Sokka up.

"Don't worry Sokka! Where we're going, you won't need pants!" I shivered. _That's a disturbing image._

"I'd rather him keep his pants on if it's all the same to you." Then I had a thought. Crawling over to Sokka I whispered in his ear.

"She's in charge of your meat intake. You know that right?" He gasped in horror.

"Oh no."

* * *

"We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn't we get a little bit more flying done before camping out?" We had landed on a small island and unloaded. I didn't mind it, but Sokka had issues.

"He's right. At this rate we won't get to the North Pole until spring." And apparently Katara shared some of those issues. _Hmm…must be genetics._ Aang was looking out over the water.

"But Appa's tired already, aren't you boy?" Awkward silence… "I said, _aren't you boy?_ " Aang tried again. This time Appa responded with a not so convincing yawn.

"See?"

"Oh yeah, very convincing. Though, I can't argue with a ten ton magical monster." Sokka gave up. Aang suddenly pointed out over the water with an excited gasp.

"Look!" I gasped as a giant fish jumped out of the water.

"That's why we're here! Those are Elephant Koi fish, and I'm gonna ride one! Katara you have to watch me!" I rolled my eyes at his obvious attempt at attention from my sister. Then I quickly closed said eyes as Aang stripped down. He ran out into the water.

"COLD!" He shouted as he first made contact. He quickly recovered though as he swam out to the fish. He dove under the water, and popped back up a second later, riding a fish. My eyes widened. _Awesome! I've got to do that!_

As Katara and Sokka were distracted by Aang, I stripped myself of my parka and outer clothing leaving me in my undershirt and underwear. _Hey, it's more than what Aang's wearing._

Running to the water I quickly dove in. _Augh! This water really is freezing!_ Ignoring my numbing limbs I quickly swam out to Aang, also ignoring the surprised shouts from my siblings. Once I reached the area where the fish were I dove under the water. I looked around before spotting a fin heading my way at alarming speeds. I managed to grab onto it as it passed by and quickly pulled myself on before it broke the surface.

"This is awesome!" I shouted as I rode the fish. Aang jumped onto my Koi fish and we laughed in glee as we rode together. I glanced back at the shore and tilted my head in confusion as I saw Sokka and Katara waving their arms at us. Aang waved back, but I noticed the alarmed looks on their faces. Suddenly our fish was pulled out from under us. We screamed in surprise as we hit the water. When I surfaced I looked down, and saw a huge shadow surrounding us. I turned around and screamed as I saw the giant fin that stood easily 10 times as tall as the Koi fish's fin. I pointed at it.

"Finzilla! It's gonna eat me!" Aang saw thing I was pointing at and quickly grabbed my hand before running at top speeds with me in his arms. My eyes watered from the speed. I gasped as I realized that we were shot gunning straight at Sokka.

"Aang! Look Ou-!" It was too late. He ran straight into Sokka and I was sandwiched between the two of them. I gasped as my side hit the tree rather painfully. Looking back at the water I saw the giant fin receding and sighed in relief, or at least I tried to before my ribs cried out in pain.

"What was that?" Katara ran up to us. Sokka stood brushing himself off.

"I don't know, but we aren't sticking around to find out. Let's hit the road." Suddenly figures jumped down from the trees. They tied and blindfolded Aang, Sokka, Katara, and even poor Momo was stuffed into a bag. They blindfolded me, but when they tried to tie me up I let out a hiss of pain. The hand tying me stalled, and I heard a voice in the background.

"This one looks injured. I'm gonna carry her back." Sounds of affirmation were heard as the woman, _at least I'm pretty sure it's a woman_ , picked me up gently. The last things I heard before passing out were Sokka and Katara's voices.

"Or we could stay awhile…they better feed us."

"Wait, who's injured?" _Guess who said what.  
_

* * *

"You four have some explaining to do." I woke up to the sound of some old guy's voice.

"I didn't do it. I swear it was all Sokka's fault." I reacted to the scolding tone instantly by mumbling. The person holding me chuckled.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back into the water with the Unagi!" _Ooo Unagi. Sounds tasty._ This time it was a girl's voice. I tried to look around, but I was still blindfolded and being held. I heard Sokka's voice somewhere to my right.

"Show yourselves you cowards!" The sound of cloth filled the air as all our blindfolds were removed, mine included. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight. Looking to my right I saw Aang, Katara, and Sokka tied to a tall statue. I looked at the person holding me and saw a woman with a lot of makeup on. I looked around in confusion. _What's going on?_

"Who are you? Where are the men that ambushed us?" I heard a sexist remark. That must be Sokka.

"There were no men, we ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?" The woman wearing makeup, _I'm gonna call you…Makoman! Makeup+Woman=Makoman (May+ko+man). Sounds like a superhero name,_ spoke up from the old man's side. Sokka scoffed in disbelief.

"Wait, there's no way a bunch of girls took us down." Sokka stated. Makoman walked up to him and grabbed his shirt.

"A bunch of girls huh? The Unagi's going to eat well tonight." She threatened. Katara quickly bailed out our brother.

"Wait he didn't mean it! My brother's just an idiot sometime." I quietly laughed even as my ribs ached.

"More like all the time." The woman holding me chuckled again and looked down at me with a wink.

"You're alright kid." I smiled at her.

"Thanks. I pride myself in being better than my brother." I said before groaning as my side continued to protest from my laughter earlier. Hearing the noise, Katara quickly snapped her head towards me. She let out a gasp.

"Kai! Are you okay?" I gave her a thumbs up.

"Just peachy." She gave me a look of concern before glaring at the woman in front of her.

"What did you do to my sister?" Makoman just shook her head.

"We did nothing. We don't harm children. She was already injured. Don't worry my warrior is taking care of her." She assured. Katara's glare softened.

"Now tell us, why are you here?" She asked. Aang looked down.

"It's my fault, I wanted to ride the Elephant Koi." He confessed. The old man just glared at him.

"How do we know you're not fire nation spies? Kyoshi island has stayed out of the war so far, and we intend to keep it that way. You're injured friend even looks fire nation." He pointed an accusing finger at me. I rolled my eyes.

"My parents were fire nation. I was abandoned in a ship. I was found by the Southern Water tribe and I grew up there." I said in a half truth. He didn't need to know about my supposed Air nomad side. The old man looked at me suspiciously.

"This island is named after Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!" Aang broke the man out of his thoughts.

"Impossible! Avatar Kyoshi was born on this island 400 years ago! She's been dead for centuries!" The old man insisted. Aang looked thoughtful before responding.

"I know her because I'm the Avatar." He was met with looks of disbelief. Makoman stepped forward.

"That's impossible; the last Avatar was an air bender who disappeared over 100 years ago!" Aang smiled.

"That's me!" The old man just scoffed at him.

"Throw the imposter to the Unagi!" I shook my head. _Oh ye of little faith. That's right! Throw the world's last hope to Finzilla, that'll make it all better!_

The green clad warriors opened their fans and slowly approached Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Katara whispered something to Aang. He suddenly air bended himself out of his binds and over the statue. Gasps of disbelief and awe filled the air.

"It's true. You are the Avatar." The old man gasped. Aang just smirked before pulling out his marbles.

"Yeah! Now check this out!" He whipped his hands out and performed the marble trick from earlier. Unlike Katara, the crowd went wild. I'm pretty sure that one guy foamed at the mouth and passed out. I grimaced. _He should probably get checked out somewhere. That can't be normal._ They released my siblings who immediately ran up to me.

"Are you okay?" Sokka asked as he gently took me from the warrior's arms. Katara ran up and began checking me over.

"Other then the bruised ribs? I'm fine don't worry." I brushed away Katara's hands. She huffed.

"C'mon, let's go fix you up."

* * *

Luckily my ribs weren't too bad. After a good wrapping with ointment for pain I could move around with almost no issue. As long as I didn't exert myself I should fully recover within a few weeks. Currently we were staying in one of Kyoshi's main homes. The whole island was celebrating Aang's return.

"Yeah! Dessert for breakfast! These people sure know how to treat an Avatar!" Aang shouted happily as some people set down trays full of pastries in front of us. Aang and I began eating eagerly, but Katara was more hesitant.

"Katara you have to try one of these!" Aang stated holding out a pink pastry to her. She hesitantly grabbed it.

"Well I guess I'll have one." She began eating it. I looked over at Sokka who was sulking.

"Why so glum chum?" I asked with a pastry in my hand. Aang looked over too.

"Yeah Sokka. Have some food!" Sokka just continued to glare.

"Not hungry." He pouted. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and stuck the pastry under his nose. Like a switch, his mouth immediately started watering and his eyes glazed over. I giggled.

"I am now your master. Repeat after me, Kai is awesome." I waved the pastry in front of his face in a hypnotic manner. His head swayed.

"Kai is awesome…" I stared at him. _This actually works? Cool!_

"Sokka is stupid."

"Sokka is stupid…" I laughed. Katara just rolled her eyes at us. Then she broke the moment.

"He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt." Katara's statement broke him out of his food induced haze.

"They snuck up on me!" He shouted. Katara just smirked.

"Right, and then they kicked your butt." She stated smugly. Sokka just stood up angrily.

"Sneak attacks don't count!" He began grumbling as he left the room before coming back to grab a few pastries.

"Tie me up with ropes…I'll show them a thing or two…I'm not scared of any girls!...Mm this is tasty…" He left the room. I shrugged and slowly got up. I knew he was headed to find the warriors, and I wanted to see them too. Waving goodbye to Katara and Aang I ran out of the room to follow Sokka.

* * *

I followed Sokka to a big hut. Looking inside I saw the Kyoshi warriors going through a set of stances. Seeing Sokka walk inside, I hid behind the doorway.

"Oh hey ladies, I didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson. I was just looking for someplace to work out." Sokka stated as he began stretching. I rolled my eyes at his obviously cocky personality. Makoman didn't look like she liked it either.

"Well you're in the right place. Sorry about yesterday. I didn't realize that you were with the Avatar." She apologized. Sokka began swinging his arm.

"It's okay. Normally I would hold a grudge, but since you're a bunch of girls I'll make an exception." He stated smugly. I glared at his back. Makoman just smirked.

"I would hope so. A big, strong man like you, we wouldn't stand a chance." She said sarcastically. I smirked. _I like her_.

"True, but don't feel bad. I'm the best warrior in my village." I smacked my face as he remained oblivious to the sarcasm. _Yeah you're the best warrior, because there's no one else and I'm a girl so I can't be a technical warrior in the Southern tribe._ Her eyes widened in fake awe.

"Wow. Best warrior huh? In your whole village? Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a demonstration." Sokka's eyes widened comically. I almost burst out laughing right then, but I didn't want to give away my position just yet.

"Oh…well I mean…" Sokka stuttered out. Makoman just looked behind her.

"C'mon girls. Wouldn't you like a demonstration?" A few giggles and affirmative nods came her way. Sokka shrugged.

"Well okay, if that's what you want I'll give it to you. Now you stand over there." Sokka gave her a little push on her shoulders before backing up.

"Now, this may be a little tough, but try to block me-Ah!" Sokka had gotten in a ridiculous stance and threw a poor punch at Makoman, only to be hit in the shoulder with a fan. I nodded in appreciation. _She took him out with one move, nice!_

Sokka stepped back and rubbed his shoulder.

"Good, of course I was going easy on you." He insisted. She just smirked at him.

"Of course." Sokka suddenly rushed at her with a kick.

"Let's see if you can handle thi-Augh!" Only for her to stop him with a sweep under his legs. I shook my head at his poor skills. _Sometimes I wonder if he even learned from Hakoda at all! I think the testosterone is getting to his head_ and _fighting skills._ Sokka groaned in frustration.

"That does it!" He ran at Makoman with his fist pulled back. When he punched out at her she simply grabbed his arm. She spun him around a few times before grabbing his shirt tie, tying his foot to his hand, and pushing him forward. He landed on his face as all the girls laughed at him. Makoman smirked above him.

"Anything else you want to teach us?" I couldn't hold it anymore. I fell over onto the floor laughing hilariously with tears running down my face. Everyone looked at me in shock, not knowing that I was there. Sokka's eyes widened as he saw me.

"Kai?! You were there that whole time? How much did you see?!" I wiped the tears from my eyes as I continued laughing.

"Enough to see you get your butt whooped! I'm so telling Hakoda when we see him again!" I managed to say in between my laughs. Sokka looked at me in complete embarrassment as he hopped out the door on one foot. I finally calmed down after a couple minutes. When I looked up I saw the warriors smiling at me kindly.

"Well, you're sense of stealth is already way better than your brother's." Makoman stated. Walking up to me she held out her hand.

"I'm Suki, what's your name?" _Huh, that sounds much nicer than Makoman._ I thought tilting my head. She looked at me in confusion before I snapped out of it.

"Oh sorry my name's Kai. It's just that your real name sounds much better than Makoman." I said. She just looked more confused. I sighed. _Maybe I should just start explaining right away_.

"I like giving nicknames. Makoman is a mix of Makeup+Woman. I thought of it when I first saw you. Plus, it kinda sounds like a superhero name. You kinda looked like one to me, and you stood up against my brother's sexist remarks so…yeah." I explained rubbing the back of my head. The superhero thing sounded kinda stupid out loud. I looked down with a blush.

All the girls began to laugh, including Suki. She walked up to me and rubbed my head.

"You're a cute kid." I pouted at that causing them to laugh more.

"I'm not a cute kid. I'm an awesome mini-adult!" I pointed at myself proudly,

"How did you're brother turn out so much different than you?" She asked with a laugh. I smirked.

"I'm not blood related to him thankfully. But, Katara turned out okay. Maybe he's just the weird one." I shrugged. Suki looked at me with a smirk.

"I like you kid." I beamed at her. Then I thought of something.

"Hey, could you help me learn how to fight? I don't think my brother will be much help in that department." I asked. She smiled before frowning.

"Usually we don't allow foreigners to learn, but I like you so I'll make an exception. What about you're ribs? Will you be okay?" She looked at me in concern. I nodded.

"I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look, but that reminded me." I looked around the room until I found the woman who had held me yesterday. I walked up to her and bowed gratefully.

"Thanks for taking care of me the other day." She bowed back.

"My pleasure. My name's Lena." I nodded at her with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Lena!" Suki smiled at my politeness.

"Okay Kai, let's see what you can do." I nodded and the other girls formed a ring around us. Suki and I began circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suki lashed out with her fist. I brought up my other hand and deflected it to the side remembering Hakoda's teachings. She went to sweep my legs out, but I jumped over and twirled to kick her. She deflected the kick before grabbing my leg. I tried to release myself by kicking with my other leg, but she used her leg in a show of flexibility to block it. As I fell to the floor I put my hands out and caught myself, my leg still in Suki's grasp.

I mentally shrugged. _Eh, time to improvise._ I quickly pushed myself off my hands, pushing Suki backwards with my leg. I jolted my leg forward before pushing my other leg back hoping to catch her off guard with a kick. Unfortunately, Suki was much better than me. She easily recovered and grabbed my other leg with one hand. I was pinned down to the floor in seconds. She smiled down at me before getting up and offering me her hand.

"That was very impressive for your age Kai! And definitely better than your brother." I laughed at this and grabbed her hand pulling myself up.

"Thanks, we learned from the same person though, so I don't understand why that is. Maybe I practiced more than him?" I shrugged. Suki looked at me thoughtfully.

"You're stance was much more relaxed than his and more flexible. Did you modify the original?" She asked. I thought about it.

"Yeah, but only a little. I had to change it to compensate for my size and flexibility." I shrugged. She nodded appreciatively.

"It was impressive for you creating it on your own. It has a few holes but I can help you with those." She smiled at me. I beamed back at her.

"So you'll teach me?" I asked excitedly. She nodded with a smirk.

"Of course! I'd be an idiot not to."

* * *

I groaned in pain as I fell onto my bed. Training with the Kyoshi warriors had been awesome, and painful. I winced as I felt my ribs. Maybe I shouldn't have exerted myself so much, but it was just so much fun! Suki even gave me my own Kyoshi warrior dress with fans to complete the look.

Luckily Katara was out shopping. She would burst a vein if she knew I had been training with the Kyoshi warriors. I planned to pretend to be sleeping when she arrived home. Hopefully that would deter her from asking questions.

I laid on my bed for a while, until I grabbed my necklace. I dangled it in front of me as I had a thought. _If I'm fire nation, and possibly air nation, does that mean that I can bend?_ The thought excited me. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but ever since Katara showed me that she was a bender I had always been slightly jealous. Of course if anyone saw me fire bending they would most likely kill me on the spot, but…eh, totally worth it. I vowed to try it once my body didn't feel like Appa had repeatedly stepped on me. As I sat up to grab some food, the door suddenly opened.

Katara stepped in with a basket of food, and an annoyed look on her face. She looked at me. I stared back at her before glancing at my obviously not-sleeping self. I face-planted into my pillow. Katara walked up to me, poking me in the back of the head.

"Kai? Where were you earlier? I asked Sokka, but he just got mad and walked away. And I know you're not sleeping, I literally just saw you sitting up." I ignored her, but spoke into my pillow.

"Kai is not here at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep!" I heard her huff.

"Please tell Kai that if she doesn't tell me where she was in 10 seconds, I'm going to tell Gran Gran about that time that you took Sokka's socks and stuck them in her sou-" I shot up in alarm.

"Oh, hey Katara! Didn't see you there! Wow look at the time, I need to go and do a thing. Bye!" She quickly grabbed my shirt as I tried running by her. She gave it a yank, and I promptly fell on my butt. I rubbed my injured behind as Katara glared at me.

"Fine! You didn't have to grab me! I would've told you eventually…probably. I was with Suki and the Kyoshi warriors." She looked at me confused.

"That's fine. They're nice people. Why were you hiding it from me?" She asked suspiciously. Then her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh my gosh you were training with them, weren't you!" I lifted my hands to make air quotes.

"Depends on your version of 'training'. Does getting your butt whooped count as 'training'?"

"Yes, yes it does."

"Oh, then yes I was training with them." I shrugged. She stared at me with murderous eyes.

"Kai! You're not supposed to be pushing yourself! You could've been hurt! I can't believe you! I can't believe Suki let you!" She ranted.

"Katara, but I wasn't hurt! I'm fine!"

"But you could've been!"

" _But I wasn't!"_

" _But you could've been!"_

" _Katara!_ I'm fine! You need to stop treating me like I'm going to break any moment! I can take care of myself! At least Suki has the slightest bit of faith in me, and I've barely known her for a day! Maybe _she_ should've been my sister!" I waved my hands in anger. As I said the last line I saw a flash of hurt go through Katara's eyes, but I couldn't care less at the moment. She needed to have faith in me and not go doubting every little thing I do.

I stomped out of the house angrily. As I walked out the door I hesitated for a moment. _Maybe that was a little harsh…_ I shook my head and continued out of the house, oblivious to the hurt eyes that watched from the window.

* * *

Walking into the training hut I noticed that it was empty at the moment. They must've had a lunch break or something. I walked into the middle of the room and went through the forms Suki had showed me. As I stepped sideways during the movements, I slipped up and feel over. I threw my fan out the door with a frustrated grunt. Slumping onto the floor I put my hands over my face.

"Wow, someone's mad." I heard a voice at the door. Turning my face in alarm I relaxed when I realized that it was just Suki. She held up my fan with a raised eyebrow. I blushed. _Oops, she must've been out there when I threw that._

"Oh, hey Suki. Sorry I didn't know you were out there. I'll leave now. Don't want to interrupt your training." As I stood to leave she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey it's okay. You're one of us now, remember? Plus, the girls won't be here yet. They're still on break." She sat on the floor and patted the spot next to her, signaling me to join her. I sat down with a huff.

"Now tell me, what's wrong?" I looked down at my lap.

"It's nothing really. It's just that…well…I guess I'm just frustrated with Katara." I admitted with a sigh. _Ugh, I hate talking about my feelings! That's such a Katara thing to do._ Suki just looked at me questioningly.

"Okay…well what's frustrating you about Katara?"

"…Well nothing big. I guess…" I shrugged. Suki just sighed in frustration.

"Spirits, it's like pulling teeth to get answers out of you. Just talk to me, I might be able to help." She said rubbing her temples. I doubted she could, but I decided to let her at least try.

"She treats me like I'm going to shatter in front of her eyes. She panics over every little thing! She even panicked over me training with you, and that had no danger in it! Sure I could've strained myself, but nothing that bad would've happened! It's like she doesn't trust me and my abilities." I ranted. Suki just looked at me with understanding. As I finished I just put my head in my hands again with a groan. _Why are girls so weird? Or at least, most girls._

"Listen Kai. I get that it's frustrating, I do. But, have you tried to think about it from her side? It's not that bad that she worries." She held up a hand as I began to protest. "No, listen to me. Her worrying shows that she cares about you. And from what I've heard, that worry is not unfounded. You're not the most cautious person, and Katara makes up for that by being overly protective. It's not that she has no faith in you. She will worry whether you're the weakest person in the world, or the strongest. I know that it annoys you, but try to bear with it for her sake." She rubbed my head affectionately.

I thought about what she said. Katara _is_ a very caring person. Maybe this is just another form of it. An annoying form, but that's who she is. She _has_ taken care of me over the years, and stopped me from doing a lot of stupid stuff. I sighed.

"Okay, maybe I was a bit harsh to her. I'll try to deal with it, but I'm not going to be okay with getting yelled at over nothing. I'm right in that sense. Actually now that I think about it, I was really mean to her. I _might've_ told her that at least you had faith in me…and I maybe told her that I wish you were my sister instead." I winced. _Okay in hindsight, that was really mean. Like 'dyeing someone's skin blue' mean._ Suki also grimaced.

"Ouch, that was a bit much. I mean, I'm honored an all that you think of me that way, and you are like a little sister to me. But, I would never dream of replacing the one that you have now." I rubbed my face.

"I don't even know why I said that! I love Katara, and she's a good sister despite the over protectiveness. I was just so mad." I admitted with a sigh. Suki patted my shoulder.

"I know. But, you have to apologize later, or I'll kick your butt. Got it?" She stood up and looked at me with her hands on her hips. I gulped and nodded in affirmation. She smiled and held out her hand for me to take. I pulled myself up and smiled back at her.

"Thanks Suki. You really did help." I hugged her. As we pulled back the rest of the Kyoshi warriors filed in. I whispered to Suki that I'd talk to Katara later because I wanted to train first to get rid of any frustration left. She nodded and I joined the women at the back of the room.

For the next few minutes we went through the main stances, the older girls helping me out now and then. Suddenly I saw Sokka appear in the doorway with a nervous expression. I smirked and put my hands on my hips. _This ought to be good._ Suki stopped and looked at the door also.

"Hey Suki." Sokka waved nervously. She just glared at him.

"Here for another dance lesson?" _I hope so. The last one was great!_

"No I…well…let me explain." He stuttered as he rubbed the back of his head. Suki crossed her arms.

"Spit it out already. What do you want?" After a second of hesitation, I gasped as Sokka bowed to her on the floor. By the size of her eyes, I could tell that Suki was surprised too.

"I would be honored if you would teach me." He said. I stared at him. _Wow, this is weird._

"Even if I'm a _girl_?"

"I'm sorry if I insulted you," _Well no duh,_ "I was wrong." She just looked at him unchanging.

"We usually don't teach outsiders, we've only made one exception recently." She glanced at me before continuing.

"But we especially don't teach boys." Sokka just stared at the floor.

"Please make another exception. I won't let you down." Suki seemed to think about it for a second before a smirk spread on her face.

"Alright, but you have to follow our traditions. _All_ of them." The rest of the girls and I giggled as we realized what she was talking about. Suki had told me the tradition when she gave me my dress. Sokka looked up in hope.

"Of course!" _Hmm…I don't trust this new, humble Sokka._ I walked up to him and knelt down. I grabbed his cheeks and began pulling on them.

"Ow! Kai stawp!"

"Hmm…looks like Sokka. Sounds like Sokka, except for the words. Probably smells like Sokka, but I'm not checking. Who are you and what've you done with my brother?" I let go of his face. He glared at me while rubbing at his now red face. He got up and we bantered.

"Jerk."

"Sexist pig."

"Midget."

"Ponytail!"

"It's a warrior's wolf tail! And you know it!"

"Eh, looks pretty girlish to me." I shrugged. He growled at me. Suki laughed as she walked up to him with a dress in hand.

"You know, you two are actually more alike than I thought." Sokka and I protested simultaneously.

"Hey! I'm nothing like that pig!"

* * *

"Do I have to wear this dress? It's really…girly." I laughed on the floor with tears in my eyes. Sokka had even the makeup on! I really loved Suki now. She smiled too.

"It's a warrior's outfit. You should feel honored. The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood in our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor in a warrior's heart." Suki explained. Sokka looked down at his * _Hahaha!_ * _warrior's outfit_ with a thoughtful look before standing tall with his hands on his hips.

"Bravery and honor." Just then I saw Aang by the door.

"Hey Sokka! Nice dress!" That caused me to fall over in laughter again. Sokka just looked down blushing while mumbling.

"Stupid Aang…stupid Kai…stupid dress…"

* * *

I had left Suki and Sokka to train alone after a bit. I headed to town and began looking for something to eat. Suddenly I saw the villagers all rushing to their homes. I grabbed one of the women by the arm.

"What's going on?!" I yelled. She looked at me with fear on her face.

"Fire benders have landed on the shores!" I gasped in horror. _Zuko was here!_ I quickly began to run towards the people.

"Everyone! Get out of here! If your homes catch fire you could be hurt! I'll distract the fire benders, you get to safety!" Affirmative nods were thrown my way as I pulled out my fans. I ran to the other end of the village and hid behind the homes as I saw the fire benders approach. I glared as I saw Zuko at the lead.

"Come out Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" He shouted. I saw the Kyoshi warriors arrive, and nodded at Sokka and Suki as they knelt by me. We all waited until the soldiers were in the middle of town. Then, with a signal from Suki, we attacked. Girls jumped onto soldiers from the roofs and quickly took out the first few soldiers. Suki and I immediately targeted Zuko, with Sokka lagging behind.

Suki blocked a fire shot from Zuko and went to tackle him. I gasped as he turned his rhino and swatted her with his tail. As he shot at her again I quickly ran in front of her and blocked it with my fans. Sokka pulled Suki up, and as Zuko was about to attack again I ran in and kicked him off of his rhino.

We all circled Zuko on the ground, but as we were about to attack he spun around and kicked fire at all of us. I got hit and flew into the house behind me. I vaguely heard grunts from Sokka and Suki as they were hit too. As I slowly got up while clutching my side, I heard Aang.

"I'm over here!" I walked out of the house and saw Zuko fighting Aang. I ran over to the other warriors knowing that Aang could handle himself.

As I ran around the houses kicking over soldiers looking for Sokka and Suki, I suddenly stopped and my jaw dropped in shock. I slowly lifted my finger as I saw Suki kiss Sokka on the cheek.

"-but I'm a girl too. Now get out of here! We'll buy you some time!" I saw Sokka run off to Appa, but I was frozen in shock. Suki began to run into the battle again, but stopped when she noticed me frozen with my finger pointing at me. She rolled her eyes but blushed.

"Kai you have to get out of here! Appa's over there." I snapped out of it and nodded at her. She surprised me as she suddenly wrapped me in a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you squirt. See you around." She whispered as we hugged.

"I'm gonna miss you too….future sister in law." I replied, but my voice wavered. She gave me a light hit on the shoulder for that comment. I rubbed my eyes as we backed away. Noticing tears in her eyes too I decided to lighten the mood.

"Hey now, don't ruin your make up! It must've taken forever!" She rolled her eyes at me, but smiled.

"Get going already! And don't forget to talk to your sister, or else I will hunt you down and beat you!" She yelled as she ran off. I smiled as I quickly ran to Appa. I jumped onto the saddle. Noticing that everyone was there Aang took off. I heard Zuko yell orders at his men from down below. Once we were flying over the bay, Katara put her hand on his shoulder.

"Aang you did the right thing. Zuko will follow us and leave the villagers alone. They'll be okay." Aang just looked down before looking at the water with a determined face. He suddenly jumped off of Appa and into the water. I stared at where he had landed with Katara and Sokka. I sat back with my arms folded.

"I'm not getting him." Suddenly I saw the Unagi rise out of the water with Aang riding his head. He turned the beast towards the burning village before pulling on the thing's whiskers. It spat out water onto the village, quickly putting the flames out. _Gross, is it barfing water?! Is all water fish barf?!_ I thought in horror as I stared at the scene.

Aang jumped off of the serpent and Appa caught him with his arms. Aang climbed back onto the saddle as we all stared at him.

"I know, I know. That was stupid and dangerous." He said looking at Katara. She just smiled at him.

"Yes, yes it was." She said as she gave him a hug. I laughed as Aang sighed happily. But, then I realized something. _Why don't I get that sort of treatment?!_

* * *

"Hey, Kai?" Katara slowly crawled up to my side at the back of Appa's saddle. It was nighttime and Aang and Sokka were asleep. I sighed as I realized that this was the first time we were talking ever since I had yelled at her.

"Yeah Katara?" She looked down.

"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry." I stared at her in shock. _Wait what?_

"What? I'm the one who should apologize. I was too harsh." I shrugged. She just shook her head.

"But, you were right. I was treating you like you were delicate. But, it's not because of what you think. It's just…ever since mom died, I became scared of losing anyone else. You're my sister Kai, and I don't ever want to lose you. I always thought that something was going to happen to you, and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to stop it." She wrapped her arms around herself as she began to cry. I stared at her. _So that's why. It's because of what happened to Kaya._

I wrapped my arms around Katara.

"Katara, things are going to happen to me whether you do anything, or not. It's life. But, if you don't let me take risks how can I learn? I'd be even more vulnerable if I was unable to defend myself if you never let me fight. I understand why, but you have to let me find my own way. I might need a good kick in the behind sometimes, but at least I'll learn not to do the same thing twice. And I'm sorry about what I said. I love you, and I would never dream of replacing you as my sister. No matter how annoying you and Sokka can be." I admitted as she let out a teary laugh into my shoulder. She pulled away and wiped at her tears.

"I love you too Kai, and I promise I'll try and back off a bit. But, when you do get hurt don't expect me to hold back." We smiled at each other. I nodded in affirmation.

"Of course, I expect you to be the one to kick me in the butt." She laughed and gave me one more hug before lying down to get some sleep. I smiled at her. _I'm glad things with Katara got fixed. Now I won't have to worry about Suki hunting me down_. I shivered at the thought.

I crawled to the front of the saddle and patted Appa's head. I laid down on his saddle and looked up at the stars. I had once heard from a shaman that the stars represented people that we had lost, and that a new one appeared every time someone died. I held my necklace and stared at the beautiful lights.

"Hey Kaya. I know that you told me to start calling you mom, but it doesn't feel right anymore. I feel like that's a loaded word now with Katara and Sokka, plus I know that my own mom is up there somewhere. It would be confusing between the two of you. Anyways, I hope that you're looking out for us, and Hakoda wherever he is. You must be proud of your family…I just hope that includes me." I whispered to the night sky. I was so engrossed in the stars that I didn't notice that Katara, Aang, and Sokka had woken up and were now listening to me. I lifted my necklace and dangled it in front of my face.

"And mom, dad, whoever you were, I know that you two must've been pretty cool. I mean, who else could have a kid like me?" I let out a watery chuckle, but I wiped my eyes and took deep breaths.

"You know, I used to be mad at you guys. You left me in an abandoned ship all alone, and if it hadn't been for Hakoda I would've died. And now…I don't even know if you guys died, or you just abandoned me. But, I've decided that it was for the best. I'm happy now. I have two siblings that care about me, and a best friend. I have a family in the water tribe, and I wouldn't change a thing. So, I guess I just wanted to say thank you. Not for dying or leaving me alone, but for giving me a chance at this life, voluntarily or not. And well, just watch out for them, alright? I think you owe me that much. I hope you guys are happy, wherever you are." I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

Katara looked at Sokka and Aang with tears in her eyes. Hearing such a heartfelt confession from me seemed almost too personal. But, they were glad that they had witnessed it. It let them know how much I cared. They all smiled at my sleeping form before Katara crawled over and draped a blanket around my shoulders.

"Goodnight Kai." They all sat together for a while contemplating my words. Everyone was lost in their thoughts, so no one heard the little whisper in the night sky.

" _Goodnight my daughter. Sleep well."_

* * *

 **And Chapter 3 comes to an end! This one took on more of a serious note with Katara and Kai's fight, plus this ending scene. I felt like I needed to add in some more emotional components. Oh, and if you're wondering why Kai is really better than Sokka at fighting, that will be explained with the dream scene. Hope you liked it! Next chapter should be out in a few days!**


	4. Chapter 4: Adventure in Omashu

**Chapter 4: Adventure in Omashu**

 **Hey Guys! Here's chapter 4 of Legend of Kai, hope you enjoy! And thanks to everyone who is continuing to read my story and give positive feedback and advice! I appreciate it!** **–Cleo0412**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but Kai**

* * *

"Hey, Aang?" I walked up to Aang's side and began to walk next to him. We had been traveling for a couple days on Appa. Aang said that he wanted to take us to see a city that he had visited a lot before his time in the ice berg.

"Yeah Kai?" Aang looked over at me with a smile. I looked down nervously and fiddled with my necklace. I had been trying to bend anything ever since we left Kyoshi, but nothing ever happened. Either I was doing something wrong, or I just wasn't a bender. That would suck. I would be forever categorized with Sokka. I had decided to ask Aang for advice.

"How do you know if you're a bender? I figure that since I have parents from two different nations, I might've gotten one of their elements." I shrugged. Aang looked at me excitedly before answering.

"You're right! You have a good chance of being a bender! Personally I would want you to have air, but we do need a fire bender that's on our side!" He jumped into the air happily. I looked in front of us nervously at where Katara and Sokka were walking.

"Keep it down Aang! I don't want Katara and Sokka to know that yet! They'd just breathe down my neck while I tried to figure it out!" I whispered loudly into his ear as I put my hand over his mouth. He looked at me before nodding. I cautiously took my hand away, but kept it close enough so that I could shove it in his face again just in case.

He looked around thoughtfully. We were walking on a snowing plain filled with rocks. Aang walked over to a large rock and swept the snow off. He sat down on one side and patted the other, signaling for me to sit next to him. I shrugged and walked over, sitting by his side. Aang looked over at Sokka and Katara who had turned to look at us.

"Hey guys! We should break for a while to rest! Kai and I are gonna talk over here! Can you guys get some food going?" He yelled. Katara and Sokka yelled back in affirmation before heading over to Appa to grab some supplies. Aang smiled at me.

"Well now that that's taken care of, time to begin bending 101! Copy me, and close your eyes." He got into a meditation stance by sitting in crisscross applesauce, and putting his fists together. I copied him and closed my eyes.

"Okay, now focus on your surroundings. Try to feel the heat around you, and the wind blowing by. Focus that feeling into your gut, and tell me what you feel." Aang said soothingly as I began to focus. I concentrated on the smallest of sounds around me and the softest of feelings on my skin. I concentrated on my gut and tried to look for any sort of sensation. I gasped.

"I feel…warmth. It's like a giant blanket is surrounding me. It's tickling my insides. But, there's something else there. It's like that feeling you get when you're moving downwards really fast." I explained as best as I could. I vaguely heard Aang's voice in the background.

"Good, now try and force that sensation into your hand." I nodded and began to imagine the warmth running into my chest and through my arm. The warmth reached my hand, and a sensation ran through my fingers that felt desperate for release. I opened my eyes as I released that feeling. I looked at my hand. There in my palms was a tiny flame. I gasped as it flickered in the wind. It felt like a tiny heartbeat.

"You did it! You're a fire bender!" Aang exclaimed excitedly as he tackled me in a hug. I laughed gleefully and hugged him back.

"I'm a fire bender! Aang thank you so much! But, how did you know what to do? You're not a fire bender." I asked him confused. He merely smiled at me.

"Actually, that's how I first air bended. The idea is that your element is sleeping inside of you. You just have to learn how to wake it up. Some people, like Katara, find out their bending through accidents including a powerful emotion. But, this is the more traditional way. Usually you only experience one feeling though, so I don't know what that other thing you felt was. It was probably a fire bender thing though." He shrugged before hugging me again. We jumped up and down in excitement for a minute before running over to Katara and Sokka.

"Hey guys! Look what I can do!" I shouted. Running over to them I stopped by Sokka and concentrated again. This time it came much faster. They gasped as a ball of fire appeared in my hands. I looked at them with a huge smile on my face before remembering that a fire bender killed Kaya. I quickly stopped the flame.

"Uh…sorr-?" I was cut off as Katara tackled me with a hug.

"I'm so happy for you Kai! Now we have a fire bender on our side!" She shouted gleefully. I sighed in relief as I hugged her back. _Oh good. They aren't going to murder me._ I looked over at Sokka, only to laugh as I saw that he had passed out. _Wimp._ Katara and Aang talked to me about bending, giving me tips and advice. We talked the whole way to Omashu, and Sokka finally woke up and began to grumble about me being a bender.

* * *

Meanwhile, two figures watched from the sky. A woman in a fiery cloak, and a man with blue skin stood together.

"She has discovered my half of her abilities Vayu. We must contact her soon." The woman known as Agni turned towards Vayu. He nodded.

"I agree, but we must wait until Avatar Roku reveals the Avatar's role as well. They will need each other. She will know all in time. I just pray that she understands our reasons." They nodded at each other before continuing to watch the scene below them.

* * *

"Welcome to the earth kingdom city of Omashu!" Aang waved his hand towards the grand city. We all gasped as we took in the sight.

"Wow! We don't have cities like this in the South Pole." Katara commented as she gaped at the structures. Sokka nodded in agreement.

"They have buildings that don't melt…" I smacked his head for that.

"Most cities have buildings that don't melt Sokka. _"_ He glared at me while rubbing his head. Aang looked back at us.

"Well let's go slowpokes! The real fun's inside the city!" He began walking over the hill, but Katara stopped him.

"Wait Aang! It could be dangerous if people find out that you're the Avatar. Actually, Kai you could be in danger too. They could think that you're the enemy because of your fire nation looks." She stated, pointing at my hair. Sokka agreed.

"You two need disguises." Aang and I looked at each other before looking back at them with confused looks.

"What're we supposed to do? Grow mustaches?" Aang pointed at his face. I cringed.

"Yeah…no thanks."

* * *

"Ugh this stuff is so itchy! How do you live in this?" Aang complained to Appa. He had a giant wig of hair and a mustache made of Appa's fur. I groaned.

"At least you're not blind!" My hair was pulled up and hidden underneath a bandana that covered over my eyes as well. Aang was supposed to be an old grandpa, while I was supposed to be a blind girl who apparently had scars on her head. I could barely see through the fabric so Sokka and Katara were going to have to lead me around.

"Great! Now you look just like my grandfather. And Kai looks like a self-conscious blind girl." Sokka said. I shot a tiny fireball at Sokka for that. I had been practicing on doing it faster. I grinned in satisfaction as I heard him yelp from the blast. Katara spoke somewhere to my right.

"Technically, Aang is 112 years old." I tried to walk forward, but I tripped on a rock and fell face forward.

"Ow! I hate being blind!" I groaned as Sokka laughed at my predicament. I felt Katara help me up. Aang patted me on the shoulder before grabbing his staff.

"Let's get to skippin' young whippersnappers! The big city awaits!" He said in a very convincing old man voice. I laughed and tried to follow, but fell forward again.

"Dang it!"

* * *

We began to walk towards the large city. I had gotten the hang of walking around without falling, but I still had no idea where things were. Katara had been leading me by holding my shoulder. She linked her arm with mine a while later, saying that we were on a road with cliffs on either sides and she didn't want me killing myself. _Lovely._

"You guys are going to love Omashu! The people here are the friendliest in the world." Aang said from in front of me. Suddenly I heard a loud voice shout from ahead.

"Rotten cabbages?! What do you think we're running here, a slum?!" Then I heard the sound of the earth cracking and something falling over the cliff.

"No! My cabbages!" A man yelled. I looked over to where I thought Aang was.

"Friendliest in the world huh?" I said sarcastically.

"Just keep smiling." Aang replied, and we continued forward. After taking a few steps I heard some more earth bending happening.

"State your business!" It was that cranky guy again. He sounded like he had no life, other than making other people's lives harder. I heard a whoosh of air.

"My business is my business young man and none of yours! I have half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!" Aang shouted. I laughed out loud. _I would love him as my grandfather! Well, maybe not after that paddle comment._

"Settle down old timer. Just tell me who you are." Cranky guy said, in a much nicer way might I add.

"Name's Bonzu Pippinpadalopsicopolis, the third! And these are my grandkids." Aang probably just came up with the worst cover name ever. I felt Katara pull me forward.

"Hi, I'm June Pippinpadalopsicopolis. Nice to meet you." I felt her tug my arm, signaling me to say something.

"I'm…Lena. Nice…city you got here." I shrugged. Katara sighed quietly over to my left. _What? No way was I going to repeat that horrible last name._ It was silent around me for a second.

"What's wrong with your head girl?" He questioned. I raised my eyebrow.

"Rude much? My head's as straight on as yours is." I put my hand on my hip.

"No no! I didn't mean it like that, I just…never mind." He sighed. I inwardly sighed in relief, glad that I didn't have to try and explain my head scarf.

"You there, June. You seem like a responsible young lady. See to it that your sister and grandpa stay out of trouble. Enjoy Omashu." I heard the gates in front of us open. _Seriously? You guys have the worst security in the history of ever! What if I were planning to blow up Omashu, it would've been all your fault._ I shook my head at the sad security in play, but hey, who was I to complain? Katara pulled me forward.

"We will!" She called back. We walked forward until I heard the guard say,

"Wait a minute…You're a strong young man. Show some respect for the elderly and carry your grandfather's bag!" I wonder who he was talking to. Surely not Sokka, he wasn't a strong young man.

"Good idea!" Aang said. Then he tossed his bag at Sokka. We hurried through the gates before they closed. After getting through I pulled the fabric up so that I could see, I doubted that anyone would look closely at my eyes now. I gasped as I took in the huge city full of chutes and buildings. I watched all the carts run down the chutes carrying supplies.

"That's Omashu's mail delivery system. Earth bending takes the carts up and gravity brings them down." Aang explained as he saw where I was looking. Sokka shrugged.

"So they get their mail on time."

"They do get their mail on time, but my friend Bumi found an even better use for them. Kai, I think you'll especially enjoy this." I smirked as I saw Aang's devious look.

 _This ought to be fun._

* * *

"One ride, then we're off to the North Pole. Air bender's honor." We sat in a stone cart at the top of a chute. I looked down the slide excitedly. Aang sat at the front, Katara behind him, me behind her, and Sokka at the back.

"This sounded like fun at first, but I'm beginning to get second though-!" Katara screamed as she finished her sentence. Aang had leaned forward and begun the ride.

"YEAH!" I shouted raising my hands in the air. Aang and I were laughing the whole time. I vaguely heard Katara and Sokka hyperventilating around me. _Wimps!_ As we sped down the chute I gasped as I saw spears in the chute next to us. _Who orders spears?!_ As the chutes merged the spears gained speed and began to get way to close for comfort. Sokka yelped and ducked as the weapons went over his head. I yelled as they closed in on my back. I leaned as far into Katara as I could.

"Not cool man! Not cool!" I shouted as I felt the spears begin to poke my back. Katara wrapped her arm around me and pulled me forward.

"Aang!" She shouted. He nodded.

"I'm on it!" He began rocking the crate and tossed us over the edge. _Great idea! Let's all commit suicide before the spears get to us, that'll show them!_ I sarcastically thought as we all screamed. Luckily we landed on a ramp shaped roof and slid off. I saw us headed towards a group of soldiers. We hit the ground with Aang halfway into the air, Katara being kicked in the face by Aang, me grabbing Sokka for dear life, and Sokka nearly flying out the back. We must've looked awesome.

Bouncing off the ground we took off again. We broke through another line of crates, knocking over some on the way, before breaking through the other side and landing in a chute again. _Seriously! These people have practically made this city perfect for riding these things!_

"Aang do something! Use your air bending!" Katara shouted. Aang looked back excitedly.

"Good idea! That'll make us go even faster!" I don't think that's what Katara meant, but I wasn't complaining. I raised my hands into the air.

"To the max!" I shouted. Aang nodded in agreement and swiped his hands forward, causing us to go super-fast. As we slid down a slope we all screamed as we saw a cart stop ahead of us. The soldier shot it forward, and we all sighed in relief, only to scream again as he lifted another one up. We broke clean through the other cart and fell into the air.

Using air bending Aang swept the cart under us. We landed on more roofs, and broke through a guy's window, breaking his vase.

"Sorry!" Aang shouted back. We slid through another house. _Why are there so many open doors?! This place has so many issues._ When we came out the other side Momo, who had been riding in Aang's wig, had a new friend. He and the cat fought on Aang's head before Momo managed to kick the cat off the ride. I looked behind us, hoping that Momo hadn't just murdered that poor cat.

We ran into and over the edge of the roof. We screamed as we fell straight down, crashing into a vending cart full of cabbages. I spit out all the lettuce in my mouth and rubbed my head.

"My cabbages! You're gonna pay for this!" I looked behind me and saw a livid cabbage vender. Guards surrounded us as we got up. I just stared at the man.

"Didn't your cabbages get thrown over a cliff?"

* * *

We were led into the palace to see the king. In the main chamber I looked around. _It's so green in here_. I looked to the front of the room and saw an old king sitting on the throne. We all knelt as the guard named off our crimes.

"Your majesty these juveniles have been arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages." The cabbage man shouted again.

"Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!" I stared at the man.

"Dude, you want to kill us for hurting your poor cabbages? One, we don't have that many heads in the first place. Two, you need help. Three, it wasn't exactly _malicious_ destruction. More like purely accidental and well placed destruction." I shrugged. Katara gave me a look that clearly said, _Not helping._ The guard put his hand up.

"Silence! Only the king can pass judgement." The king stared at all of us. I stared back and stuck my tongue out. He looked at me before passing judgement.

"Throw them…a feast!" _Oh good, he's crazy._

* * *

We all sat at a table full of food. I stared at the food wondering if it was poisoned. The king came and stood behind us.

"The people of my city have become fat from too many feasts. So I hope you like your chicken with no skin." He held up a chicken leg in front of Aang

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat." Aang declined. The king went to Sokka next.

"How about you? I bet you like meat." He then proceeded to cram the thing into Sokka's mouth. I waited a few seconds before eating mine as well. _Well, doesn't look like Sokka's poisoned._ Katara whispered to us.

"Is it just me, or is his crown a little crooked?" She swirled her finger by her forehead. I shrugged.

"I think that's been well established for a while now."

The king sat in his chair before asking Aang a question.

"So tell me young bald one, where are you from?" Aang just stared back before answering.

"Uh…I'm from…Kangaroo Island." He said. I almost slapped my forehead. _We need to work on his lying skills. I'm a pro, but he's an open book._ The king just leaned forward.

"Kangaroo Island huh? I heard that place is really hopping." He stared at us. The only one who laughed was of course Sokka. I sighed and looked at him in disappointment.

"What? It was funny." He rubbed his head. The king looked to me next surprisingly.

"What about you with the head scarf, where are you from?" _Oh good, easy answer._

"I'm from the Southern Water tribe." I said truthfully. He stared at me with a contemplative look on his face. I stared back confused. He merely yawned.

"All this talking is making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay!" He reached into his sleeve, and threw a chicken leg at Aang. Aang yelled in surprise and caught the leg with air bending. All the guards around us gasped. The king looked pleased.

"We have an air bender in our presence. And not just any air bender, but the Avatar." He pointed at Aang who quickly stopped air bending.

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself Mr. Pippinpadalopsicopolis?" He asked smugly. Aang stood up.

"Okay you caught me. I'm the Avatar. Doing my Avatar business, and keeping the world safe. Everything checks out! No fire benders here." He glanced at me before continuing.

"So good work everybody! Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears. We'll see you next time!" He yelled, grabbing us and pulling us backwards. But, as we were about to exit the guards crossed their spears behind us. I rolled my eyes, and slipped between the spears.

"Really? Oh no! You crossed your spears! How am I ever going to get out?" I put my hands up to my face in fake desperation. The guards blushed and pulled me back into the room by my hood, throwing me forward. Katara caught me and gave me a look of exasperation before turning to the king.

"You can't keep us here. Let us leave!" She yelled at him. He merely picked up a lettuce leaf.

"Lettuce leaf?" I stared at him. _He's so weird_. Sokka looked at us.

"We're in serious trouble. This guy is nuts." He whispered. I looked at him with fake shock.

"What? I hadn't noticed." He glared at me.

"Why do you have to be so sarcastic to me?" I shrugged in response.

"You make it too easy." Katara smacked both of our heads. We focused back in on the conversation.

"Tomorrow the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. For now, the guards will show you to your chamber." The king announced. The guard to his left leaned down.

"My liege do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?" He asked. The king looked up at him.

"The newly refurbished chamber."

"Wait which one are we talking about?"

"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until it got refurbished that is. Of course we've been calling it the new chamber, but we really need to start numbering them. Uh, take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!" He announced. I sighed.

 _Like I said. This place has issues._

* * *

We were led into a nice looking large room with four beds. The guards closed the door behind us as we took in the surroundings.

"This is a prison cell? But it's so nice!" Katara stated. I shrugged and jumped onto one of the beds.

"Eh, I'm not complaining." I sighed as I sunk into the soft bed. Aang shrugged as well.

"He did say that it was newly refurbished."

"Nice or not we're still prisoners!" Sokka complained. Aang looked at the ground worriedly.

"I wonder what these challenges are going to be." He wondered. Katara put her hands onto her hips.

"We're not staying long enough to find out. There's gotta be some way out of here." She said. Aang looked around before pointing at one of the small holes in the walls.

"The air vents!" We all looked at him like he was crazy.

"If you think we're gonna fit in there, you're crazier than that king." Sokka stated. Aang shook his head.

"We can't, but Momo can!" He pointed at the lemur that was now fat off of fruit. He walked over and picked Momo up, carrying him to the hole. He shoved the poor guy into the hole and tried to force him in.

"Go on boy! Get Appa!" Momo got stuck at his belly and wouldn't go through. Sokka sighed.

"Eh, how was Appa supposed to save us anyways?" _And he wonders why I call him a pessimist._

"Appa is a ten ton flying bison. I think he could figure something out." Aang insisted.

"Yeah, he probably would've knocked down the walls or something. Like how I used to knock over your snowmen." I agreed with Aang. Sokka pouted as he remembered that.

"You were an evil child. You killed Sir Snowy."

"He probably wanted to die anyways, with that name you gave him." Poor Momo was still stuck in the wall. Taking pity on the poor thing, I got up and pulled him out. He gave me a hug before flying onto the bed and curling up. I giggled and went back to the bed I was on earlier. I opened the covers up and lay down on the bed. Katara walked over to my bed.

"Well, no point in arguing over it now. Get some rest Aang. Looks like you're gonna need it for tomorrow." She said as she pulled the covers over me, tucking me in before heading to her own bed and laying down. We all closed our eyes and quickly fell asleep, wondering how tomorrow would go.

* * *

"Mmf!" I shouted into a gloved hand. I had been rudely awakened by someone picking me up and covering my mouth. I tried to bite it, but I could tell that this just annoyed him more than anything. Besides, have you ever tasted earth bender? Not good.

Looking around I saw Katara and Sokka's silhouettes squirming in soldier's holds. We were being taken out of the chamber and into a dark hallway.

Before I could get dragged into the room after Katara and Sokka, I quickly concentrated on my gut. I focused that feeling into my chest and blew roughly into the soldier's hands. Luckily it worked and the man drew his hand back as fire poured out of my mouth. Running away I could hear him yell in the background.

"She's a fire bender! Restrain her!" I ran off down the halls, trying to find where Aang would be. I turned around a sharp corner only to run into the crazy king himself. He smiled down at me.

"Where do you think you're going? I heard an interesting rumor, that you're a fire bender. Is that true?" He leaned close to my face. I backed up quickly, trying to escape, but he grabbed me by the hood and pulled me back. I shot a ball of fire at him.

"Ah, so it's true." He said as he merely dodged the fire. He encased my hands in rock and began to lead me down a hallway.

"You get to join Aang today! How exciting!" I stared at him.

 _Wait, what?_

"Let go of me you crazy king! I don't want to die yet!"

* * *

"Kai! Are you okay? Where are Sokka and Katara?" Aang ran up to me as soon as he saw me by the king's side. I held up my encased hands to Aang.

"Oh, I'm just great. Just peachy. I don't know where they are. When the guards tried to put me in the same room as them I escaped by fire bending." I explained. Aang looked alarmed at the fact that I revealed myself. The king put his hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, and that's the reason you will be joining the Avatar in his tests today." He stated. I groaned as Aang looked to him in surprise. The king gestured to his outfit.

"First of all, what do you two think of my new outfit? I want your honest opinion." He held open his arms as I stared at the purple monstrosity. I crinkled my nose in disgust as Aang scratched his head.

"It's fine…I guess." He stated while rubbing his head.

"It sucks." I replied bluntly. The king laughed at me.

"Good! You have passed the first test." We looked at him in excitement.

"Really?" I asked. That was really easy. The king thought about it for a second before responding.

"Well, not one of the deadly challenges. The real challenges will be much more…challenging." Aang ran up to the old guy and began yelling in his face.

"I don't have time for your crazy games! Give me my friends back, we're leaving!" The king looked amused.

"Oh, I thought you might refuse. So I decided to give your friends a little souvenir." He pointed to the wall. It suddenly opened and I gasped as I saw Katara and Sokka being held by guards. The guards grabbed their hands and put rings of crystal on them.

"Those lovely rings are made out of pure Genamite, otherwise known as the creeping crystal. It grows at a fast rate. By nightfall your friends should be covered in it. Terrible fate really. I can stop it, but only if you and the fire bender cooperate." The king explained. I growled.

"You better get those off them right now! Or so help me I'll take your crown and shove it up your-!"

"Kai! We need to just do as he says. That's the only way he'll release them." Aang interrupted my threat. Me and him stared at each other before I sighed.

"Fine. Let's do this. But, you better keep your promise you crazy king." I pointed a finger at him. He merely laughed in response.

* * *

Aang and I stood on a flat rock. We were surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. In front of us was a large waterfall with a ladder running up it.

"It seems that I've lost my lunch box key and I'm hungry! Oh, there it is! Can you go get it for me?" The king pointed at the waterfall. I stared at it. _Great._

Aang used air bending to maneuver himself around the pointy rocks, but I used some fire bending to propel myself forward. I still wasn't very good at holding fire for too long so I had to stop a few times. I saw Aang dive into the bottom of the waterfall and grab the ladder.

"Oh, climbing the ladder! No one's thought of that before." The crazy king commented. I glared at him.

"How about you come down here, and I commentate!" I yelled in irritation. Using fire bending I blasted myself into the air and caught myself between two stalactites. I gasped as Aang was blasted from the waterfall, but luckily he caught himself before he got a stalagmite in a very uncomfortable place.

Once I saw that Aang was safe I got ready for my attempt. I aimed myself at the key from above and launched myself forward with a fire powered kick. I flew at the waterfall. But, as I hit it the pressure immediately overpowered me and pushed me out. I yelped as I hit a stalagmite, but quickly grasped it before I fell.

"Kai be careful!" I heard Katara yell. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I'm purposely trying to skewer myself!" I shouted back. The king decided to interject.

"That's right. Keep diving in headfirst. I'm sure it'll work eventually." I groaned. _I really hate this guy!_ I looked over at Aang. He seemed to have an idea. He broke of the tip of a stalagmite and yelled to me as he threw it at the key.

"Kai! Fire!" I immediately realized what he wanted. I gathered as much fire into my hands as I could handle, and shot it at the rock spear as Aang shot air at it. It quickly sliced through the air and broke the key off its chain. The spear hit above the king's head and the key dangled in front of him.

"There! Enjoy your lunch. I want my friends back now!" Aang shouted. The king shook his head.

"Ah, I'm afraid I need help with another matter. It seems that I've lost my pet Flopsy."

"Ugh! You've got to be kidding me." I groaned.

* * *

Aang and I ran up to a little bunny like creature. Turning back to the king, Aang yelled.

"We found him!" The king held open his arms.

"Bring him to me! Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy!" He responded. I shivered. There was something seriously wrong with this guy. As we went to grab Flopsy, a giant shadow appeared in front of us. Turning around I yelped as I saw a giant beast looking at us. The bunny got scared too and ran off. We immediately gave chase.

"Flopsy wait! Flopsy!" Aang yelled as he chased the pet. I tried to keep the beast distracted by shooting small balls of fire at it. He got annoyed and chased after me. I jumped over and onto his back and tried to hold on. He immediately tried to get me off by jumping around or reaching onto his back, but I managed to stay on. Then he decided to go after Aang. I gasped.

"Aang look out!" He turned to look at us. The small creature had gotten away. Aang stared at the beast as it ran at him.

"Flopsy?" He asked. The beast stopped right in front of Aang and picked him up, only to give him a big lick. Aang laughed.

"Flopsy!" He hugged him. I sighed in relief as I slid off Flopsy's back. A whistle broke into the air and Flopsy immediately ran over to the king. He rolled onto his back and exposed his belly. The king began to rub his belly.

"Oh that's a good boy! Yes, who has a soft belly?" He said. Aang and I ignored the king and went over to my siblings. Their whole bodies were covered, leaving only their heads and feet out.

"You guys okay?" Aang asked. Katara smiled at us.

"Other than the crystal slowly encasing my body, doing great." She replied. I gave her a thumbs up.

"Don't worry. Aang and I will get you out of there soon." I smiled at her. She smiled back, but frowned.

"Just be careful Kai. I don't trust this king." I nodded. Looking over at Sokka I saw more crystal grow on his left side, unbalancing it. I laughed as it made him fall over. Aang walked over to the king.

"We're ready for the next challenge." He said with his hands on his hips. The king smiled evilly. I wasn't paying attention though because I was currently rolling Sokka on the floor.

* * *

We stood in a giant arena made of rock. The king stood in front of us.

"Your final test is a duel! And as a special treat, you may pick your opponent." As he said this, two men appeared at his side. On his right was a skinny guy with makeup on his face and a scar going across it. He held a wicked looking scythe. The guy on his left was really buff. He had a mask on his face and held a giant axe. Neither looked appealing.

"So you're saying that whoever we point to. That's the person we get to fight?" Aang asked. The king looked at us seriously.

"Choose wisely." Aang looked at the men before him, before looking over at me with a sly smile. I could tell what he was thinking, and shrugged. It was his choice. He nodded.

"I choose you." He pointed at the king. Immediately the king laughed.

"Wrong choice." He flexed his whole body and threw off his robe. I stared in horror at the buff old guy in front of me. _Ah! Old men should not be shirtless!_

He kicked the ground, and Aang and I yelled as we were launched into the air from the earth. We landed in the arena and the king immediately jumped down and joined us. He looked down at us.

"You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earth bender you'll ever see!" He said. Aang and I slowly stood up. Aang pointed behind the king.

"Can we fight the guy with the axe instead?" The king just smiled at us.

"There are no take-backsies in my kingdom. You might need this." One of the guards threw Aang's staff at him. Once Aang caught his staff the king began to shoot rocks at us. As I dodged around I shouted at the king.

"This isn't cool! I'm not a full bender yet, and I didn't choose you!" He responded by sending a rock wave at me. Unable to dodge in time I merely crossed my arms in front of me as I was hit. I flew across the arena and groaned as I hit the wall. Maybe this was bad for my still healing ribs. Aang looked over at me.

"Kai!" He ran over and stood in front of me protectively. The king laughed as he shot more rocks at us. Since he was protecting me, Aang wasn't able to dodge like he usually does. He had to deflect the hits, and I could tell that this was more taxing for him. I shakily stood.

"Aang! I'm fine; you don't have to protect me." He looked at me conflicted before he nodded his head. He began dodging again as I used my fire bending to destroy rocks sent at me. The king shot another wave of rock at us, but I was able to dodge this time.

Aang went to charge at him, but the king created quicksand below him which made Aang sink into it. Two giant rocks were coming to crush him. I quickly ran over and gathered fire in both my hands. I destroyed the rocks by firing two fire balls at each one.

Aang was able to escape the quicksand and sent a blast of air at the king, making him hit the wall. He stood on a platform of rock as he sent a giant wave of rock at us. Aang tried to jump over it, but it grew and smacked him out of the air. I tried to dodge to the side, but it turned and I flew into the wall again.

Groaning, I looked over to where Aang was and saw him yell in fright. I looked over at the king and yelped as I saw him lifting an entire chunk of the ground, including the wall, overhead. Aang began running in fast circles creating a tornado in the middle of the room. I grabbed onto some surrounding rocks sticking out of the floor and held on for dear life.

The king threw the earth with a grunt at Aang, but it was merely redirected at him from the tornado. He gasped but was able to split the thing in half. As he did that Aang jumped at the king and stuck him at the end of his staff. I quickly ran over and stayed behind the king. Aang looked smug, but the king just smiled and looked up.

A tiny rock fell onto Aang. As he looked up he gasped as he saw that the king was holding a large boulder above his head. But, the king hadn't noticed me yet. I tapped his shoulder. He looked over at me in surprise as I held him at the end of my fire, smirking. He smiled.

"Well done you two. You fight with much fire in your hearts. For you young lady, that is quite literal." He threw away the giant boulder. He fell backwards and we gasped as he completely fell into the ground. We saw him reappear on the balcony overlooking the arena and went to join him. I looked down the hole, wondering if I could reach the other side without dying. I decided against it. Aang merely air bended us up.

"You have passed all my tests. Now, you must answer one question." He said. We glared at him.

"That's not fair! You said that you'd release my friends after I finished your tests!" Aang yelled. I nodded.

"Yeah, so give them back you kook!" I shook my fist at him. He shook his head.

"What's the point in a test if you don't learn anything?" Sokka groaned.

"Oh come on!" We ignored him. The king swept his hand to Sokka and Katara.

"Answer this one question, and I'll set them free. What is my name?" He walked off. I stared after him. _You've got to be kidding._ I looked over at the others.

"Well, my first guess would be crazy-old-king-who-is-unaware-of-hygiene, but that seems like it's too long." I crossed my arms. Katara giggled at me before nodding in agreement. Aang smiled, but looked down.

"How are we supposed to know his name?" He put his head in his hands. Sokka jumped in.

"Oh! I know! It's Rocky! Cause of all the rocks." I stared at him before pushing him over again. He yelped as he hit the ground. Katara just shook her head at me. I shrugged and asked if she had any better ideas. She thought for a moment.

"Well, what did you learn from the tests?" Aang pondered this.

"Well we got a key, found his pet, and had a duel. Everything was different than what I imagined." Katara urged him on.

"And?" She grimaced as the crystal grew up to her face. Aang grabbed his chin.

"Well to solve each problem I had to think from a different perspective…" He suddenly snapped in realization.

"I know his name." I stared at Aang this time.

"Really? Good, cause I got nothing."

* * *

"I solved the question the same way I solved the challenges. As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities." Aang said to the old geezer. He laughed crazily snorting every now and then. Aang merely smiled at him.

"Bumi, you're a mad genius!" He ran at Bumi and tackled him with a hug. Bumi rubbed Aang's head in affection.

"Oh Aang, it's good to see you. You haven't changed a bit, literally!" I stared at the king in shock. Katara suddenly yelled out.

"Uh, over here!"

"A little help!" Sokka joined in. His mouth was the only thing showing, and Katara only had her face left. Bumi pulled his fist forward and the Genamite exploded off my siblings.

"Genamite is made of rock candy, delicious!" Hearing this I quickly began to gather some up. _Hey, what can I say? I have a sweet tooth._ Katara walked up to them.

"So this crazy king, is your old friend Bumi?" He looked up at that.

"Hey, who're you calling old?" I crossed my arms.

"Dude, you're like 112 years old." He thought about it before shrugging.

"Okay, I'm old." He admitted. Sokka stared at him.

"But, why did you do all this instead of just telling Aang who you were?" Bumi laughed before getting serious.

"Well for one thing it's fun to mess with people. But, I do have a reason." Turning to Aang he said, "Aang, you have a difficult journey ahead of you. The world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone. It's up to the Avatar to restore balance to the world. You must master the four elements and confront Fire lord Ozai, and when you do I hope you think like a mad genius." He smiled at Aang. Aang smiled back and gave Bumi a bow, but I was still confused.

"Wait, but why did you have me do all that?" I asked. He turned to me.

"Well I could tell that you needed more practice in fire bending for one, and this gave you a good chance. But, I have another reason. I have been given a message from the spirits about you. You also have a hard journey ahead of yourself. Your destiny will unfold with time, but you and Aang needed to learn to fight together and read each other in battle." He explained.

I was shocked that the spirits had contacted him, and that he seemed to know more about this than I did. I wonder if Agni and Vayu were the ones to contact him. I wanted to know what was going on. He seemed to realize what I was thinking and shook his head.

"I cannot tell you any more than I already have. Don't worry young fire bender. You will understand all soon." I opened my mouth to protest, but I just let out a big sigh instead. I looked at Aang and my siblings. They had shocked looks on their faces. _Oh yeah. I didn't tell them about the whole dream with spirits thing did I?_ I scratched the back of my head.

"Uh…I'll explain it later?" I shrugged. Katara shook herself out of her shock before glaring at me.

"Yeah, you will." She stated with her hands on her hips. I grimaced. Aang just smiled at me sympathetically before turning back to Bumi.

"Well anyways, thank you for your wisdom. But, before we leave I have a challenge for you."

* * *

Katara, Sokka, and I watched as Aang and Bumi sled off in a cart. I laughed as a crash could be heard minutes later, and a furious yell of, "My cabbages!" could be heard. But, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my side again. I winced again while grabbing my ribs. _Oops, probably shouldn't have done all those challenges._

I looked at the sky. _If you guys told Bumi to add me in all this, the least you could do is take responsibility for my injuries. Help me out here! Well, maybe just you Agni. Vayu, you can go try and wash off that blue dye on your skin. That must be annoying._ I nodded to myself. I heard laughter in the wind before a female voice responded.

" _Alright, I guess it was our faults. I shall assist you. Though, Vayu is not helping because he is annoyed at the whole blue thing."_ Agni responded with an amused tone. I blinked in surprise. _Seriously? I was just kidding._

I quickly lifted my shirt a little. I saw no bruising on my ribs, but just to make sure I poked myself. Nothing. I laughed. _Thanks Agni! You're my favorite!_ I heard a chuckle in the wind before I felt her presence disappear. Katara turned as she heard my laugh.

"Kai? What're you doing? Are your ribs okay?" She walked over and began examining me. I smiled.

"Better than okay! Agni healed them!" I shouted in excitement. Katara looked at me in disbelief before she looked closely. She gasped.

"Wow, they are healed! But that's impossible! How…what?" She looked at me bewildered. I just shrugged with a smile.

"I'll explain later?" I offered. She sighed.

"Why are you so complicated?" She complained, rubbing her temples. Suddenly Sokka ran over.

"Hey Kai! Are your ribs okay?" _*Sigh* Here we go again._

* * *

"So Kai, want to explain things?" Katara asked. We were flying on Appa again. Katara and Sokka were starting to interrogate me, while Aang sat on Appa's head listening to our conversation.

"Okay, but this might sound weird." I sighed. I began explaining. I told them about my dream, and about Agni and Vayu. I told them about how they called me their Azrita Zura, whatever that was. And, I explained about how I had accidentally prayed to Agni, and she healed my ribs.

They all stared at me by the time I finished. Katara looked at me like I had grown a third head, Sokka was gaping, and Aang had to repeatedly look back at where we were flying after nearly crashing us two times. I shrugged.

"So…yeah. That's it." Katara shook her head and sighed.

"Only you would insult the skin of a spirit."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I folded my arms indignantly. She smiled at me before continuing.

"Well whatever this is, you don't have to worry. Aang, Sokka, and I will be here to support you." She gave me a hug. I hugged her back with a smile. As we pulled apart Sokka gave me a punch on the shoulder.

"Yeah, we got your back. Even if you're annoying and have weird powers." I glared at Sokka before sharing a look with Aang. He realized what I was going to do and grinned slyly while grabbing his glider. I smiled at Sokka.

"Hey Sokka, do you ever wish that you could fly?" I asked him while smirking. He looked at me suspiciously.

"Sometimes…why-?" I cut him off as I shoved him off of Appa. Katara yelped as he fell into the air. Aang immediately jumped after him. Katara turned to me.

"Kai!" I shrugged.

"Hey, I warned Aang." She shook her head in exasperation just as Aang came back and dropped Sokka back into the saddle. His eyes were wide. He suddenly turned and glared at me.

"I can't believe you did that! It scared the spirits out of me!" I laughed.

"Aang got you didn't he? Don't be a wuss. Besides, you were the one that said that you wanted to fly." I shrugged. Katara and Aang laughed as Sokka tried to argue back, but wilted as he couldn't think of a comeback. I patted his arm.

"Don't worry. I won't ever _seriously_ try to kill you. Probably." I assured. He looked at me while rolling his eyes.

"That makes me feel so much better." He said sarcastically. I smiled at him before giving him a hug. He sighed, but hugged me back. I pulled away before looking at Aang with a smile.

"So…where to next?"

* * *

 **Chapter 4 comes to an end! Sorry that the beginning part about her fire bending is rushed. I might come back later and create a separate chapter about how she got her fire bending if you guys want me to expand on that. For now, I needed her to fire bend for this chapter, and didn't have enough time to write anything major on it.**

 **Oh, and for anyone wondering about the why I chose the names Agni and Vayu. Since Agni is actually used in the show, I wanted to use a spirit from the same religion. Agni is the Hindu god of fire so I found the Hindu god of air which turned out to be Vayu.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter should be out in a few days!**


	5. Chapter 5: Imprisoned

**Chapter 5: Imprisoned**

 **Hey guys! Here's the third installment of Legend of Kai! Hope you enjoy! –Clee0412**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, just Kai  
**

* * *

"When's Sokka getting back? I'm hungry!" I complained. We had stopped to make camp in a forest. Sokka was currently out looking for food while we waited. Aang was sitting in a tree trunk, Katara was folding up some blankets, and I was twirling a fire ball in my hands. Momo flew onto my shoulder and I pet him behind his ears.

Katara sighed, "I don't know Kai, but hopefully soon." I groaned. _Sokka's so slow!_ Just as I thought this, Sokka appeared from the forest. Aang and I excitedly ran over.

"Great you're back! What's for dinner?" Aang asked. Sokka sat down and opened the small bag.

"Well we have a few options. Round nuts, oval nuts, or some rock shaped nuts that might just be rocks. Dig in!" He poured the contents of the bags out, revealing nuts and a couple rocks. I picked one up and looked at it critically.

"Uh…is there a fourth option?" I threw the nut over at Momo who was eating a leaf. Katara and Aang agreed with me.

"Yeah, what else you got?" Katara asked. Sokka looked inside his bag of tricks that was now empty. I sighed and walked over to Momo who was trying to break open the nut. I walked over to him as he lifted his hands into the air. As he hit the rock with the nut, this time a resounding _*BOOM*_ echoed into the air. I stared wide eyed at Momo who was staring at the nut. He carefully dropped the nut and again we heard a crash as it hit the floor.

"Hey guys, Momo found a magic nut." I stated, pointing at the lemur. But, they didn't hear me.

"What was that?" Sokka yelled out in panic. I looked around. _Oh…so it wasn't Momo._ Aang pointed out into the distance.

"It came from over there!" Aang, Katara, and I quickly jumped off our rocks and ran out to the noise. I vaguely heard Sokka complain, but he's just paranoid.

We arrived at a large ditch. Hiding behind a rock, we saw a teenage boy earth bend a rock into the side of the ditch. I wanted to get a closer look. I quietly crept away from the group and up on top of the ditch. As I watched him from above, I heard Katara yell out.

"Hi there! I'm Katara, what's your name!" The boy looked at her in horror, dropping his rock in surprise. When the rock hit the ground it caused the ditch to shake. I yelped as I fell forward. The boy began to run away, but stopped when he saw me on the ground in front of him. He glared at me before getting into an earth bending stance. I looked behind him and saw a bunch of boulders. _He cut the others off._ I raised my hands in a placating fashion.

"Whoa there! I'm not doing anything!" I pleaded. I really didn't feel like being crushed today. He only glared at me some more.

"You expect me to trust some fire nation scum?" He spat. My eyes widened in realization. _Oh…so that's why_. I tried to explain.

"Oh, you don't understand. Yes I'm fire nation, but I was raised in-." He cut me off with a shout.

"I don't understand? _I don't understand?!_ You're the one with no idea about how much us people suffer under you!" He lifted a boulder and threw it at me. I squeaked as I dove out of the way.

"Hey! Stop it! I don't want to hurt you!" I pleaded. But, he ignored me and just continued to attack. I ducked as I narrowly avoided having my head chopped off. _This guy's crazy!_ I yelped as a sharp rock clipped my arm, leaving a small gash. Suddenly the guy was knocked off his feet and onto the ground from a blast of air. I sighed in relief. _Aang._

Katara, Sokka, and Aang all got into defensive stances in front of me. They all glared at the boy on the ground while he looked back at them incredulously.

"How dare you attack my sister!" Katara pointed an accusing finger at him. He snapped out of his shock and glared back.

"Your sister? How can you call that monster your sister! She's fire nation!" He yelled. I got up and glared at him. Pushing past Aang and my sibling I looked at him.

"I can't choose who my parents were! Yes, I have fire nation blood in me. But, I was raised in the South Pole. I'm not going to hurt you just cause some fire nation people gave birth to me." I stated as I crossed my arms. His expression softened the slightest bit, but he still looked suspicious.

"How can I trust you?" Aang stepped up.

"You can trust my word as the Avatar. She's my friend." He stated. The boy looked at him in shock.

"The Avatar?" He whispered. Aang air bended a small tornado in his hand as proof. The boy gasped before kneeling.

"I apologize for my behavior." He looked at me with regret in his eyes.

"And I'm very sorry for hurting you. I just…reacted I guess." He looked down in shame. I waved him off.

"It's fine. You didn't know. Anyways my name's Kai! What's yours?" I asked as if he didn't just try to kill me. Everyone stared at me in shock before the boy smiled at me.

"Thank you for your forgiveness. My name's Haru." He got up and held out his hand. I grabbed it and shook. I pointed behind me.

"The Avatar is Aang, that's my brother Sokka, and my sister Katara." I pointed them all out. Aang waved back while my siblings still glared at Haru. He flinched under their glares before turning to me again.

"Is your shoulder okay?" He asked, lifting my wounded arm. I nodded as Katara pushed him away from me, and began wrapping my cut while glaring at him. I sighed.

"Katara, it's really fine. He didn't know! Besides, I'm sure that if you and Sokka saw a fire bender you wouldn't have treated him very nicely either." I smirked and put my hand on my hip. Her expression softened as she sighed. I looked back at Haru.

"So…you got a village around here? I don't want nuts for dinner."

* * *

"Haru where have you been? You're late…who are they?" Haru's mother pointed at us in confusion.

"Mom, these are some kids I met. And he's the Avatar." Haru explained, pointing at Aang. His mom gasped, tears in her eyes.

"The Avatar has returned?" She surprised all of us by giving Aang a hug. I laughed at Aang's expression. Haru snapped out of his shock and pointed to the rest of us.

"That's Aang. This is Kai, Katara, and Sokka." He pointed at us. She smiled at us warmly before her eyes stopped on me. She glared, and I sighed. _Here we go again_. Luckily Haru noticed what was going on and quickly explained my situation. By the end of it she was smiling at me too.

"Oh, forgive me. I was unaware." She apologized. I shrugged.

"At least you didn't attack me with sharp rocks like Haru." She gasped and quickly shut the window. She glared at Haru.

"You did what?! Haru, you know how dangerous that is! You know what they would do if they caught you earth bending!" Suddenly someone banged on the door.

"Open up!" Sokka glanced out the window.

"Fire benders! Act natural!" We all got into our positions just as the men burst into the room. Sokka and Haru were examining an apple, Katara looked like Momo as she stuffed her face with lychee nuts, Aang leaned on a barrel, and I sat on the floor hugging a teddy bear. As the man looked around the room, Aang suddenly fell into the barrel. I laughed. Haru's mother stepped up.

"What do you want? I already paid you this week." She glared. The man smiled smugly at her.

"The tax just doubled. We wouldn't want an accident would we?" He began forming fire around his hands.

"Fire is sometimes so hard to control." He stated as he stopped the fire. I glared at him and was about to give him a piece of my mind, but Sokka held me back with a shake of his head. I settled for glaring at the man.

Haru's mom had a broken look on her face as she walked over to the counter. She reached behind it and pulled out a small chest. Inside were a few coins. Scooping them up, she handed them to the soldier. He examined the coins before picking a few out.

"You can keep the copper ones." He said, throwing them onto the floor. As Haru's mom bent to pick them up, I glared at the soldier. He caught me glaring and merely smirked at me before leaving with the other soldiers. Sokka stared after them.

"Nice guy. How long has the fire nation been here?" He asked. Haru's mom looked up with a sad face.

"5 years. The fire lord uses our coal to fuel his ships." Haru glared at the floor,

"They're thugs. They steal from us, and everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it." He scowled. His mom looked over at him.

"Quiet Haru! You can't talk like that." She chided. Katara stepped up.

"But, Haru's an earth bender. He can help!" She insisted. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! He could kick some fire bender's butts!" Haru's mother shook her head.

"Earth bending is forbidden. It's brought nothing but pain and misery to our people."

"Asking Haru not to earth bend is like asking me not to water bend, it's who we are!" Katara insisted. Haru's mother shook her head again.

"You don't understand."

"I understand that Haru could help you fight back. What can the fire nation do to you that they haven't done already?" Haru's mom looked at us in sadness.

"They could take Haru away! Just like they took his father." My eyes widened at that. _They're taking away earth benders?_ We all stared at Haru as he looked away angrily. I turned and glared at the door that the fire benders had left through.

 _Sometimes, I seriously hate you guys.  
_

* * *

"My mom said that you guys could sleep here tonight, but you should leave in the morning." Haru led us into the barn. Appa immediately hurried over to the hay and grabbed a mouthful.

"Thanks! I'll make sure that Appa doesn't eat all of your hay." Aang promised. He went over and lay down on Appa's head, Sokka got comfortable on the hay, Katara and Haru went for a walk, and I went out to find someplace to practice my fire bending.

I had found a ditch similar to where we found Haru. It was covered well, so I figured that nobody would find me. I began practicing some punches and kicks. I was working on creating a sword of fire. Zuko had created daggers made out of fire, so if I concentrated it into both my hands and held them together I might be able to create a similar effect.

I placed my hands together as I concentrated on my fists. I could feel fire forming in my hands. I began to sweat as I tried to keep my concentration up. I looked at my hands and smiled proudly as I formed a small blade of flame. After a bit of concentration I was able to thin the blade and make it slightly longer, but it was still only about the length of my fist. I could work on the length later.

I let the flame go with a sigh, and began shooting balls of fire at the walls. Suddenly a loud voice boomed.

"Hey you! What are you doing?!" I yelped as I turned around and saw some soldiers on the wall further down the ditch. I quickly ran as I heard other shouts following me. I ran as fast as I could and climbed out of the ditch. I led them away from Haru's house for a while before turning back to check if they were still there. I sighed in relief once I realized that I'd lost them.

I headed back to the barn. It took me longer to get back. It didn't help that I might've gotten a bit lost for a while. When I had finally returned, the sun had been down for a while. I sighed. _Katara's gonna be mad._ I resigned myself to my fate and walked towards the barn, but I stopped as I saw some soldiers knock on Haru's door. I watched them in suspicion.

I quietly hid behind the house. Haru opened the door, and I saw an old man point at him in accusation.

"That's him! That's the earth bender!" I glared at the man. _How does he know that? And why is he selling out Haru?!_ I didn't have time to think on it any longer, they were dragging Haru away. I stared in determination. Running at the soldiers, I fire bended at them and managed to knock a couple down. They stared at me in shock. Haru looked at me in horror.

"Kai! Get out of here!" But, I ignored him and grabbed his arm.

"C'mon Haru! Let's get out of here!" I pulled him down a path and we began to run, but a fire wall stopped us in our paths.

"I wouldn't try anything else you brats! Unless…you want this nice house over here to burn into the ground!" The soldier pointed his hand menacingly at Haru's home. We gasped in horror. Haru and I looked at each other before nodding at the soldier. There was nothing we could do, but go along.

As the soldiers handcuffed me, they spat at my feet saying, "Traitor." I just ignored them. I wasn't a traitor. I was never one of them in the first place. We were led onto a small ship that began to sail towards a fire nation rig. I stared at it. _That must be a prison._

I stared back at the shore that we had left, hoping that my family would be okay.

* * *

"Welcome earth benders to my humble abode!" A very theatric fire bender waved his hand at the giant, steel structure behind him. I glared at him. We had been taken off the boat and lined up in front of the warden.

"I prefer not to think of you as my prisoners, but as my honored guests! And I, your generous host." He bowed. I snorted.

"Oh yeah, so glad to be here! Thanks for the hospitality. I would like some tea please." I rolled my eyes. Haru chuckled slightly behind his hand. The warden was less amused. His head snapped towards me, and he glared.

"How dare you disrespect me you cretin! I'll teach you a lesson!" He fire bended at my feet, but with a wave of my hand the flames dispersed. He stared at me in shock before yelling at his soldier to explain. The soldier nervously stepped up.

"Sir, this young lady was arrested for assaulting and interfering with the capture of an earth bender. She's a fire bender." He explained. The warden glared at me before a sinister smile replaced it.

"Well, then we can't keep her in the normal courtyard. Too bad I hadn't invested in some coolers for this thing. But, I can compromise. Take her to the water chamber. I'll give her some _special_ treatment." He said. I shivered in fear as I realized that I had no idea what they would do to me. I glanced over at Haru, and saw him staring at me in concern. I gave him the most reassuring smile that I could muster before being dragged away by the guards.

* * *

They led me below deck, and into a dark room. When they lit the lanterns I gasped as I saw that the room mostly consisted of a large vat full of dark water. Looking down at the water I could tell that it was very deep. There were chains from either side of the pool.

The soldiers hooked a chain to each of my limbs, and lowered me into the water. I shivered as the freezing water touched my skin. A few minutes later the warden walked in. He smirked as he walked over to the lever that controlled how deep into the water I would go.

"Normally, this place is used as a torture chamber for stubborn earth benders. But, you're a special case. Of course, I'll still have to punish you for disrespecting me though." He smirked as he lowered me completely into the water. I gasped as my body reacted to the cold water, but I quickly ran out of air because of that. I thrashed as I tried to get above water, but to no avail. Just as I was about to pass out, the warden raised me out of the water. This continued on for who knows how long before the warden finally stopped.

He smirked at me as I gasped and took deep breaths of air, my hair sticking to my face, and my breath coming out in short pants.

"Have I broken you yet?" He asked smugly. I merely glared at him in response. He shook his head in disappointment.

"Well, looks like we'll have to continue this later. I wouldn't want to kill you too soon. Guards! Release her into the courtyard with the others. I think she's learned her lesson for now." I felt my wrists and ankles being released, and the soldiers lifted me out of the water. I looked into their faces, and stared in shock. _Was that…regret?_ As they led me out of the room they looked behind me, and saw that the warden had left. The one on my right leaned down, and put a blanket over my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, as the one to my left used fire bending to warm me up. I stared at them in shock before a tired smile spread on my face.

"It's okay! I forgive you. My name's Kai. What's yours?" It was their turn to look at me in shock. They looked at each other before smiling at me.

"My name's Zarai." Said the one to my right.

"My name's Kyron." Said the one to my left. He looked at me, before looking away mumbling about the innocence of a child. I shouted indignantly.

"I'm no child! I'm a mature young lady!" To prove my point I pouted. They laughed at my expression. As we neared the main courtyard, they steeled their faces to keep up appearances. They gave me a dry blanket that had some bread and meat hidden in it. I smiled brightly at them before nodding in thanks.

As I looked around the courtyard I saw most of the prisoners look at me in surprise. Some of them realized where I had been and stared at me in sympathy. I'm pretty sure I heard one yell out in anger over the soldiers doing this to a child. I scanned the crowed and quickly zoomed in on Haru. He hadn't noticed me yet, so I walked over.

I saw him talking excitedly with an elder man. I snuck up on him and jumped onto his shoulders.

"Hey Haru! How's prison life treatin' you?" I asked, happy to be free of that horrible room. He faltered for a second before turning to me in surprise.

"Kai! You're okay! I was so worried after the soldiers took you away!" He hugged me tightly before he turned to the man in front of him. The man had a slight glare on his face. Haru quickly explained.

"Kai this is my dad Tyro. Dad, this is my fried Kai. Yes she's a fire bender, but she's traveling with the Avatar. She grew up in the South Pole. She's not bad like the others." He put his hand on my shoulder. I beamed at the man in front of us and held out my hand.

"Pleased to meet you sir! I'm glad you're okay after what I heard from Haru." Tyro's glare quickly turned into a smile.

"Any friend of the Avatar is a friend to us all. I apologize for my hostility." He said. I shrugged him off.

"Eh, it's happened quite often now. Haru attacked me, your wife glared me to death, and you glared slightly. Honestly you've had the best reaction." I smiled. Haru rubbed his head in embarrassment.

"I said I was sorry…" Tyro merely laughed at his son's expense. But, as he looked at me more closely his face turned sorrowful and angry.

"…Kai, did you come from the water room?" He questioned as he took in my drenched appearance. Haru looked over at me.

"Oh yeah! They said that they were taking you to some water room. Is that why you're drenched? What happened?" He questioned. I looked down. I didn't want to explain it. Luckily Tyro noticed my dilemma and turned to Haru for me.

"It's a fire nation torture form. They chain you to the walls, and sink you into the freezing water. They keep you under until you're about to pass out, and then they take you out only to stick you back in moments later. It's broken many earth benders to this day." He hit his leg in anger.

"It disgusts me that they would use such vulgar techniques on a child!" Haru looked at me in horror. I raised my hands in a placating manner.

"I'm fine really. They won't break me that easily. I've been through worse at the South Pole. A little water isn't going to make me give in to that creep." I crossed my arms. They all stared at me before Tyro spoke in awe.

"You are a very strong young lady Kai. You have earned my respect." I blushed as he bowed slightly towards me. I decided not to mention that they were doing the same thing to me tomorrow. No use bringing up unwanted news. To be honest the thought of that room had me quiver in fear. It wasn't an experience that I wanted a repeat of. But, I knew that the warden wouldn't kill me, and my family would want me to be strong. I had to suck it up and face it with my chin up. I would never forgive myself if I ever let that creep have the satisfaction of breaking me.

* * *

When it was dinner time I carefully hid my blanket from soldiers that patrolled the area. I carefully went around the courtyard distributing the bread and meat to those that looked the most fatigued and hungry. They had thanked me, and soon all the prisoners welcomed me with open arms as I talked to them. I had also given my dry blankets to some shivering children.

When I returned back to Tyro's group he smiled at me proudly.

"You are indeed a remarkable young woman. If I had a daughter I would want her to be like you." He stated. I blushed at the complement as Haru patted me on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I would want a sister like you too." Haru admitted. Everyone laughed as my face burned darker and I hid my face in my shirt. Haru got up to go distribute some more blankets.

I was talking some more to Tyro when suddenly a weight crashed onto my back and I fell over with a squeak.

"Kai! You're okay! We were so worried when you didn't come back!" Katara shouted into my shoulder. I groaned.

"Katara it's good to see you too…now can you get off? Can't breathe." She quickly got off of me and helped me up. She hugged me again. She quickly explained why and how she was there before Haru introduced her to Tyro.

"Katara this is my father, Tyro. Dad this is Katara. She's another friend of the Avatar's, and she's Kai's sister." They shook hands as Tyro handed Katara a bowl of some horrible soup. She gave a disgusted groan as she took a bite. Tyro laughed.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. Too bad you weren't here earlier. Kai might've been able to snag you some of the good stuff." He had a thought and turned to me.

"How did you get that food Kai? We might be able to get some more later." I shook my head.

"The soldiers who were in the water room with me turned out to be pretty nice. They gave me some blankets and snuck some food in one." I explained. At the mention of the water room everyone looked at me in pity again, but I just rolled my eyes. _I'm over it…mostly._

Katara looked at us in confusion. "What's the water room?" She asked. I grimaced. I didn't want her to know. Tyro decided to take over for me again.

"It's a horrible experience that your sister should've never gone through." He sighed and explained it to my sister. When he finished her hand covered her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. She looked over at me and gave me a big hug.

"I'm so sorry Kai! This is my fault! I should've gone out to look for you sooner!" She cried as she held me. I hugged her back.

"Don't blame yourself Katara. It was my decision to attack those fire benders, no one else's. Besides, it wasn't that bad since the warden didn't want to do too much damage. He wouldn't want to break me before he finished his fun." I rolled my eyes. But, Tyro turned to me in shock.

"Wait, he's going to do this again?!" He shouted. I flinched. _Oops…my bad_.

"Maybe…but really I'll be fine." I shrugged. Katara glared at me.

"No way! I'm not letting them do that again! We're getting you out of here!" She turned to Tyro at that.

"What's your escape plan?" She asked. He turned to her and looked like he was going to say something, but then he glanced at me and sighed.

"Well, originally there was no plan. But, I agree. We can't let them continue to do this to Kai or any other earth bender. The people here are disheartened about ever leaving. But, they have come to like Kai, so I feel that if we have the right tools they would fight on her behalf." He agreed. I blushed and rubbed my head at the thought of these people fighting for me. He rubbed my head before turning to Katara.

"If you are able to provide weapons for us, we shall fight." Everyone around him nodded determinately, and I smiled at everyone. Katara also smiled brightly at everyone before giving me _another_ hug. She told us about how Aang and Sokka were supposed to come tonight. They would figure something out.

At night Katara left to talk with the others as I stayed behind to plan with Tyro. Katara returned later and explained their plan with the coal. After the explanation everyone went to bed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was a big day after all.

* * *

"Kai, wake up." Katara lightly shook my shoulder. I blinked up at her blurry form before nodding. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes with a yawn as I sat up. Everyone greeted me as I woke up. I waved back and shoved the bowl of soup that was placed in front of me away. I would rather die than eat that stuff.

As everyone finished breakfast, I asked Katara when Aang would get the coal.

"Soon. He said that it should be out in the morning." I nodded. Suddenly I saw the people around me tense as the warden walked into the courtyard flanked by guards. I glared as he scanned the group. He smiled as his eyes caught mine. He gestured over at me to the guards. I saw that Zarai and Kyron were at the back of the soldiers. They looked at me apologetically and I gave them a forgiving smile.

Just as the soldiers closed in on me, my sister stepped in front of me.

"You won't hurt her again!" She shouted in their faces. They looked at her in shock before a couple of them restrained her, and the rest continued on to me. But, more prisoners stepped in front of me, guarding me from the soldiers. The warden glared at them.

"How dare you defy me! You have no weapons! Back down, or else we will fire at you!" He ordered as they all pointed their fists at them. I gasped as I realized that they weren't getting out of the way. At this rate they would be burned because of me. I pushed through just as fire burst out in front of them. I quickly raised my hands and deflected the fire. But, I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold this up for much longer.

"Hey! Cut it out! I'll go with you." The fire stopped as the soldiers continued through and grabbed my arms. I heard shouts of protest behind me but I just smiled back at everyone.

"I'll be fine! I can handle this buffoon." I nodded at the warden. He scowled at me before ordering his soldiers to continue to the water room. Just then the ground rumbled. I gasped as I saw mounds of coal fly out of the air vents, with Aang shooting up a moment later. Everyone just stared at the coal for a moment before all hell broke loose.

I was suddenly wrenched out of the soldier's grasps as Tyro earth bended a wall of coal at them. I smiled in thanks at him before running over to the soldiers. I quickly ran over to Zarai and Kyron and helped them up.

"You guys should get out of here before the earth benders attack you." I said as I pushed them towards the boats. They nodded in thanks before bolting out of there. I looked around and saw earth benders everywhere fighting off the soldiers. Haru and Tyro formed a large ball of coal between them and with a punch of their fists, launched it at the wall surrounding the prison. A gaping hole was left in the wall. Tyro gestured at the hole.

"Everyone to the ships! We'll hold them off!" Everyone booked it towards the ships. As my siblings, Aang, and I were about to leave fire shot at us. Turning around, Aang formed a wind launcher thingy.

"Guys! Load me up with coal!" He shouted back at us. We nodded and went around collecting coal and loading his launcher. Aang faltered a bit as Sokka stuck a large armful of coal into the launcher. Coal blasted out the other end at the fire benders. I cheered as the fire benders got knocked out. The coal began moving underneath the soldiers and I smirked as a platform of coal formed underneath them and carried them out over the water. The warden looked at us in panic.

"No, please! I can't swim!" He cried. Tyro smirked as he held the platform up.

"Don't worry. I hear cowards float." Then he lowered his hands, and they fell into the water. Everyone cheered as they were finally freed of their prison.

* * *

"Well…that was fun!" I smiled at everyone. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Only you would think that a prison break was fun." She sighed. I stuck my tongue out at her. Tyro walked over to us with Haru.

"I want to thank you kids. Thanks to you we gained the heart to fight back and escape that horrible place." He smiled at us. We smiled back, but I had a thought.

"So what are you guys gonna do now? Since you're free and all." I asked. Tyro looked around with a gleam in his eye.

"We're going to reclaim our homes for the earth kingdom!" He shouted. All the others yelled out in enthusiasm. Katara, Sokka, Aang, and I all joined in the cheer. We all went around and said our goodbyes. Haru came over and gave me a hug.

"Stay out of trouble. You seem to be danger-prone." He smirked at me. I put on a fake look of offense.

"Mwah? I am insulted that you would have such thoughts! I am a proper young lady!" I stuck my nose in the air. He laughed at me, and I punched his arm. I watched him as he walked over to Katara and said goodbye to her. As they hugged, I could've sworn that Katara blushed. I grinned evilly. _Oh? How interesting…muahaha._

Once we were getting on Appa, I discreetly walked over to Katara and knelt by her ear.

"Don't worry. I won't tell Sokka about your new boyfriend." I laughed as Katara stuttered and blushed. She glared at me.

"Kai! There's nothing going on between us!" I snorted.

"Sure…and Sokka socks don't smell like death feels." I rolled my eyes. She smacked me on the arm, and I playfully stuck my tongue out at her. Sokka and Aang just looked at us weirdly. I shrugged at them.

Scooting back against the saddle, I sighed.

"I'm glad that we were able to get Haru back his dad." I stated. Katara smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Me too…" She whispered, but she sighed in sadness. I looked over and saw her reach for her neck, only to jump in fright. I stared at her.

"What?" I asked. She stared at me with big eyes before touching her neck again.

"Mom's necklace! It's gone!" She cried. I gasped and looked around us. It was nowhere in sight. Staring back at the prison rig that was now just a tiny dot in the distance, I sighed.

"It must've fallen off during the commotion…I'm sorry Katara." I hugged her as her shoulders shook. I knew that she was devastated. That was the last thing that she had of mo-, I mean, Kaya. I looked at the sad expressions on Sokka and Aang's faces, before turning back to Katara with a small smile.

"Don't worry, we'll get it back! I'll do anything I can to get it back. I promise, or my name isn't Kai!"

* * *

 **That's the end of Chapter 5! Sorry this one took a bit longer. Finals are killer -_- Anyways! I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll try to have the next one out in a few days!**


	6. Chapter 6: Winter Solstice Part 1

**Chapter 6: Winter Solstice, Part 1**

 **Hey guys, here's the 6** **th** **chapter of Legend of Kai! Hope you enjoy!  
Some side notes:  
Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm glad people like the story! And yeah, in the last chapter Kai did get beat on a lot…more so than I originally planned. But, I wanted to expand on how her being fire nation affects how people see her.**

 **And thanks purplechic13 for all your help and advice! All your comments are appreciated! I agree with you that the water room scene was rushed. It was something that I added later and that I wasn't sure about, but I'll probably go back and add to that after finals! I agree that I should add some more of Kai's thoughts during it! I added something for that in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing, just Kai.  
**

* * *

 _Darkness…_

 _I looked around me and saw nothing. I was standing in complete darkness. Suddenly my gut clenched as I dropped at a fast speed. I landed with a splash. Looking down I realized that I was standing ankle-deep in freezing water._

 _I gasped as suddenly I was sucked in down to my knees. I tried to move but my feet were stuck in place. Panic gripped my chest as I was now waist deep in the water. I kicked and pulled but my body felt as if it were being dragged down. When the water reached my chest I tried pushing myself out, but my hands merely slipped beneath the surface and locked underwater. I couldn't move them anymore._

 _The dark water continued its journey upwards as my body began to sink more. I cried out as the water finally reached my neck._

" _No! Let me go!" Tears poured down my face as it slowly began to pull me further. I began screaming out for help._

" _Katara! Sokka! Aang! Help, please! I…I can't-!" I was cut off as the water covered my head too. I was now completely submerged. My lungs screamed as I thrashed towards the surface, but I felt chains holding me down._

 _Looking up I nearly screamed as I saw the face of the warden above me. He roughly reached into the water and grabbed me by the neck. I gasped, but choked as more water filled my lungs. I stared up at him horrified as he merely smirked, and pushed me down further._

" _This is what you get for defying me." He growled. I felt my limbs grow heavy as the chains pulled on me harder. My lungs screamed. My limbs hurt. Everything was a blur. I cried as I began to lose consciousness. I realized my fate. He would kill me._

 _I'm going to die…_

 _I'm scared…_

 _My eyes began to shut. I tried to keep them open, but it was no use. Shadows bordered my vision as I succumbed to my fate._

" _Kai!" My eyes snapped open. What was that? It sounded like my name._

" _Kai, wake up!" I gasped as I was suddenly plunged into light._

* * *

"Kai!" My eyes snapped open and I sat up with a gasp. I panted as I stared at my shaking hands. Sweat dripped down my face. I looked around me and realized that it was dawn and I was in my sleeping bag. I sighed in relief. It was only a nightmare. But, then I shook my head. _Not a nightmare, a memory._

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned, only to be met with the concerned faces of my family. Katara scanned my face as she clenched my shoulder, I must've looked like a mess. She pulled me into a hug. Tears formed in my eyes as I hid my face in her shoulder. She began to rub my back as I cried.

After staying like that for a couple minutes I pulled away. I rubbed my eyes and forced a smile onto my face as I looked at Aang and my siblings.

"Sorry…did I wake you guys?" I croaked out, my voice scratchy. Aang just frowned at me in concern.

"Are you okay? You were gasping and rolling around in your sleep." I shrugged off his concern.

I sighed. "Yeah…I'm okay. I just had a bad dream." Sokka and Katara glanced at each other before turning to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Katara asked quietly. I felt as if she knew what it was about, or at least had a good guess. I shook my head.

"No, I'm okay. I would rather just forget about it." I took a deep breath to calm myself. Katara frowned but nodded in understanding. After hugging me again, she lay back down in her sleeping bag. But, I noticed that she was much closer than before. Sokka rubbed my head.

"Get some more sleep. Remember, you can come talk to me if you ever need it." He insisted. Aang nodded.

"Yeah, me too." I smiled at them gratefully. They both went over to their respective sleeping spots before lying back down. I sighed shakily as I lay back down. I repeated a mantra in my head.

 _You're okay. It wasn't real. You're okay. It wasn't real..._

Staring at the stars I closed my eyes and drifted into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

* * *

We had gotten on Appa again and were continuing our trip to the North Pole. I was still a bit shaken by my nightmare, but thankfully it seemed that my family had decided to not push the subject.

"The clouds look so soft. Like you could just jump out and land on a big, soft, cottony heap." Katara smiled dreamily at the white clouds below us. Sokka, who was whittling like a manly man, looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe you should try it." He smirked. Katara just rolled her eyes.

"You're hilarious." Aang looked over the edge in excitement.

"I'll try it!" He shouted as he jumped over the edge. I laughed. _Why not? I need to get my mind off of last night anyways._

"Me too! Aang, be ready to catch me!" Without waiting for the affirmative response, I jumped over the edge. I yelled out in glee as I flew through a cloud, getting soaked in the process. Suddenly a hand grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me upwards back to Appa. Aang dropped me into the saddle before closing his glider and landing himself. We looked down at our soaked clothes.

"Turns out, clouds are made out of water." Aang said. I shrugged.

"You learn new things every day." I smiled. It felt good to be happy. Aang put his fists together and created an air bubble around us that dried off our clothes. I smiled at Momo who now had a nice, fluffy hairdo. Katara and Sokka looked unimpressed. I rolled my eyes. _They need to learn to loosen up! If I can do it, so can they! Then again, I'm more awesome._ I smirked.

Suddenly Katara's gaze locked in the distance. She frowned as she looked over Appa.

"Hey, what is that?" She asked, pointing to my left. We all turned to where she was pointing and gasped. There in the middle of the valley down below, was a large spread of black land. It looked out of place in the green forest, and stretched for miles.

"It's like a scar…" Sokka commented. The rest of us just nodded in agreement.

We flew Appa down to get a closer look. Looking around all I saw was a bunch of ash and burnt trees. We all got off of Appa and began looking around.

Sokka glanced at the area surrounding us and said, "Listen…it's so quiet. There's no life anywhere." I looked around sadly as I realized that what he said was true. I saw Aang up ahead with a defeated look on his face. Katara noticed it too.

"Aang, are you okay?" She was interrupted as Sokka suddenly yelled out while pointing at some tracks in the ground.

"Fire nation! Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for-!" As he said this I cringed. I knew that I wasn't really apart of this, but just knowing that I was fire nation and controlled the very thing that had destroyed this forest didn't feel too good.

"Shh!" Katara interrupted him. He looked at her.

"What? I'm not allowed to be angry?" She merely looked back at Aang who had slumped on the floor. He picked up a handful of ash sadly.

"Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?" Katara stepped up.

"Aang, this isn't your fault. It has nothing to do with you." She insisted. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you can't control what some stupid fire benders do." I shrugged. Aang shook his head.

"But, I'm the Avatar. It's the Avatar's job to protect nature, but I don't know how to do my job." He sighed, putting his head in his hands. I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder as Katara continued.

"That's why we're going to the North Pole, to get you a master." Aang looked back at her.

"Yeah, for water bending, but no one can teach me how to be the Avatar. Monk Gyatso told me that Avatar Roku was supposed to help me, but I don't know how to talk to him." He stated. Momo crawled into Aang's lap, and curled up to comfort him.

* * *

After looking around the ashes, I realized that there were tiny bumps in the ground. Curious, I dug one up. I smiled at the small acorn in my hand. This meant that the trees would grow back someday, and the animals would return. I called Katara over and showed her my discovery. She smiled and grabbed up a handful before walking over to Aang.

"Hey Aang, ready to be cheered up?" She called over. He just looked down.

"No…Ow!" He rubbed his head where my sister had thrown the acorn. He looked at her in confusion.

"How was that supposed to cheer me up?" He asked incredulously. Sokka laughed.

"Cheered me up!" He cried out as Katara threw an acorn at his head too.

"Yeah, I deserved that." I nodded in agreement before walking over and giving him a punch on the arm for good measure.

"Ow! What am I, the team punching bag?!" He glared at me while rubbing his arm.

"Yes." I smirked. He just groaned in response. Katara ignored us before walking over to Aang and crouching down.

"These acorns are everywhere. One day they'll grow into big trees, and all the animals will come back." She smiled. Aang looked at the acorn before smiling at her gratefully,

"Thanks Katara." She shook her head.

"Kai's the one that found them." She pointed over at me. I smiled and waved at Aang, who smiled back. Suddenly Katara gasped as an elderly man appeared a bit in front of us. Sokka stood up.

"Hey, who are you?" The man just ignored Sokka and walked over to Aang.

"When I saw the flying bison, I thought it was impossible. But, those markings…are you the Avatar child?" He asked. Aang looked over at Katara who nodded in permission. He looked at the man and nodded. The man looked relieved.

"My village desperately needs your help!"

* * *

He led us to a small village. When we walked through the houses I noticed how many of them were destroyed. There were only a few structures untouched. We walked inside of the main house and the elderly man introduced Aang.

"This young boy is the Avatar." A man walked up to us from the middle of the room.

"So the rumors of your return are true. It is the honor of a lifetime to be in your presence." He gave Aang a little bow. Aang reciprocated before responding.

"It's nice to meet you too. So is there something I can help you with?" He asked. The man looked down.

"I'm not sure..." He trailed off, but the old man came up to his side.

"Our village is in crisis! He's our only hope!" The old man insisted, and the younger man nodded. Turning to us, the elder began to explain.

"For the last few days our village has been attacked by a spirit monster at sunset. He is Hei Bai, the black and white spirit." I shivered. _This is weird._ Sokka looked at the man in confusion.

"Why is it attacking you?"

"We do not know. But, every night it comes here it abducts one of our own. We are especially fearful because the Winter Solstice draws near." The man walked over to the doorway and looked at the setting sun. I looked at him in confusion.

"What happens then?" I asked. The elder man answered me.

"As a solstice approaches the natural and spirit worlds grow closer and closer, until the line between them is blurred completely."

"Hei Bai is already causing pain and devastation. Once the solstice is here, there's no telling what will happen." The younger man finished. Aang still looked confused.

"So what do you want me to do exactly?" He asked. The elder man…okay I'm getting too confused. _Elder man now is Thing 1, and younger man is now Thing 2. There…settled!_ Thing 1 answered Aang.

"Who better to fix a crisis between man and spirit, than the Avatar himself? You are the great bridge between the natural and spirit worlds." Aang looked up unsurely.

"Right…that's me." He stated. Katara looked over at him before gesturing at him to come over to her.

"Hey great bridge guy, can we talk over here for a second?" We all walked over to a window and Katara looked over at Aang.

"Aang, you don't sound too sure about this." She stated with a frown. Aang rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, that might be because I don't know anything at all about the spirit world." He answered. We all stared at him. _Well…this is awkward._ He just looked at us in frustration.

"What?! It's not like I had anyone to teach me this stuff!" We just stared at him unsurely.

"So, can you help these people?" I asked. Aang looked down.

"I have to try, don't I? Maybe whatever I have to do will just come to me?" He shrugged. I sighed. _That's reassuring._ Katara, on the other hand, merely smiled at him.

"I think you can do it Aang."

"Yeah…we're all going to get eaten by a spirit monster." Sokka interjected. I snorted. My siblings are like day and night. Walking over to Sokka I smacked his head.

"Be positive! At least we'll die in a way cooler way than most people!" I beamed. He and Katara sighed while Aang just laughed.

* * *

At sunset all the villagers hid inside of the main house. My siblings and I also stayed inside while Aang waited outside for the spirit. He began walking around.

"Hello? Spirit, can you hear me? This is the Avatar speaking. I'm here to try and…help stuff!" He yelled as he walked to the gates. I smacked my forehead. That's the worst opening line ever. Next to me, Sokka frowned.

"This isn't right. We shouldn't sit here and cower while Aang waits for a monster to show up." He stated. Thing 1 put his hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"If anyone can do this, he can."

"He still shouldn't have to do this alone!" Sokka insisted. I nodded in agreement, but kept my eyes on Aang. Darkness surrounded the village as the sun finally set. Aang looked around.

"The sun is set, where are you Hei Bai?!"He yelled out, but nothing happened. Aang looked confused, but stood up straight and put his hand out.

"Uh, spirit. I hereby ask you to please leave this village in peace!" He then spun his staff and slammed it on the ground dramatically. I stared at him with my eyebrows raised. _And that was supposed to do…what exactly? Did he erect some sort of magical spirit barrier? Cause that would be sweet._

Aang lifted his staff, and stared at the dark forest.

"Okay…I guess that's settled then." He began to walk back towards the house. Suddenly I gasped as a giant black and white creature emerged from the forest and walked behind Aang.

"Aang! Behind you!" I shouted as I pointed at the monster. Aang turned around and smiled nervously.

"Uh, you must be Hei Bai. My name's-." He was cut off as the creature screamed in his face. _Is that…blue stuff coming from his mouth? What is it with blue stuff and spirits! Vayu, you're not alone in this world._ I smirked as I imagined his indignant yell inside of my head.

Focusing back on Aang I saw that the spirit had merely ignored him and began destroying the village some more. As Aang ran around trying to get his attention, the spirit seemed to disappear and reappear in different places. I gasped. _It teleports!_

"Cool…" I whispered. Luckily no one seemed to hear me. They probably would've thought I was crazy. _So I like teleporting monsters, sue me._

Thing 2 walked up behind us.

"The Avatar's methods are…unusual." He stated as we watched Aang run around the spirit.

"It doesn't seem to want to listen to him. We should go and help him." Sokka insisted, but Thing 1 shook his head.

"No, the only one who can do this is the Avatar. He's the only one who stands a chance against the Hei Bai."

"Aang will figure out the right thing to do Sokka." Katara said as she closed her eyes. Sokka merely frowned and continued to watch Aang.

"Will you please stop destroying things and listen?! I'm just trying to do my job as spirit bridge!" Aang shouted in frustration as he jumped on top of a house. Hei Bai was currently smashing a house to tiny bits. Aang glared and put his hand up again.

"I command you to turn around now!" He shouted. Hei Bai turned around, and promptly smacked Aang across the village. I glared at the spirit. _Cool teleporting abilities or not, no one hurts my friends!_ Sokka seemed to have the same thoughts as me.

"Alright, he needs help!" He ran out the door before anyone could stop him. I smirked, and jumped out the window instead.

"Yay for tiny people! I get to use shortcuts!" I shouted. Katara stared after us in horror.

"Sokka! Kai, Wait!" She tried to run after us, but Thing 2 grabbed her arm.

"It's not safe!" He insisted. So she merely watched us from afar.

Sokka ran up to the beast and held up his boomerang.

"Hei Bai! Over here!" He threw it at the spirit, but it merely bounced off its butt. I snorted.

"You better listen to Aang! You stupid spirit!" I shouted as I shot a fire ball at the spirit. It cried out as it hit his leg. We ran up to Aang as he shouted at us.

"Kai! Sokka! Go back, it's too dangerous!" We stood in front of him.

"We'll fight him together Aang." Sokka reassured.

"Yeah, he can't eat us all." I winked. Aang just frowned at us.

"I don't want to fight him if I don't have-!" He was cut off as Sokka and I were suddenly lifted off the ground. I yelped as I realized that Hei Bai had taken us. We yelled out to Aang as Hei Bai carried us into the woods.

"Aang, help! Over here!" Aang flew next to me on his glider as he reached out his hand.

"Hang on guys! I'll get you both out!" He yelled. I reached out my hand desperately. I sighed in relief when I felt Aang's hand in mine. But, that relief turned into horror as he suddenly disappeared, and my world turned dark.

* * *

"Ow!" I yelled as I suddenly fell onto the floor. I looked up and screamed as I saw a giant panda bear's face in front of mine. I looked around and realized that I seemed to be in some sort of large wooden structure. I gasped as my eyes reached the floor, and I saw multiple unconscious bodies on the floor including my brother's. I quickly ran over and knelt by his side.

"Sokka! Are you okay?!" I got no response as I shook his shoulder. I turned around, and stared at the panda bear. I suddenly had a realization.

" _For the last few days our village has been attacked by a spirit monster at sunset. He is Hei Bai, the black and white spirit."_

 _Black and white spirit…_ I glared at the black and white bear in front of me.

"You're Hei Bai, aren't you! What do you want with these people? What did you do to them and my brother?!" I questioned. He merely snorted and turned around, walking outside of the structure that we had been in.

"Hey! Don't ignore me you overgrown pile of fur!" I shouted as I quickly followed him out. I was about to continue to berate the bear, but the words died on my lips as I took in my surroundings.

I gaped at the beautiful scenery. Little creatures were everywhere! Trees grew in every direction, and everything had an 'other-worldly' glow to it. Everything had beautiful colors, and the sky was an array of glowing stars. A river flowed through the middle of the land, and was bordered by luscious plants.  
 _  
"_ Where am I?" I whispered out.

"In the spirit world child." I turned around quickly at the familiar voice behind me.

"Vayu! Agni!" I shouted, a smile spreading onto my face. They smiled at me before turning to Hei Bai who I'd forgotten about.

"Thank you for bringing her here Hei Bai. You may go now old friend." Vayu said as he patted the spirit's head. Hei Bai gave a grunt before lumbering back to the structure that we were in. Apparently we were in a giant tree. I stared after the spirit before remembering why I was angry.

"Hey, wait! You have to fix the people in there! You're ignoring me again!" I stomped in frustration. Agni walked up and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down Kai. Those people are not in any danger. Don't worry; your friend Aang will help them soon." She reassured. I looked at her suspiciously before sighing. I nodded.

"Okay, I'll trust you on that. But, what am I doing here in the first place? How did I get here? How do I get back?" I questioned. This time Vayu spoke.

"We knew about Hei Bai's repetitive journeys to the human world. We also knew about your vicinity to him. So we instructed Hei Bai to bring you to the spirit realm if the chance arose. We need to speak with you and explain a few things in person, or in this case, in spirit." He explained. I stared at him in curiosity.

"Okay, so what's up? Will you guys finally tell me what's going on? And what the heck is a…Mavrita Pura thing anyways?" I put my hands on my hips.

"First of all, it's Azrita Zura. And second, no we can't explain that yet." Agni stated. I groaned.

"Then why in the world am I here in the first place?!" Vayu gave me a smack on the head.

"If you would stop interrupting, we would explain that." He sighed in aggravation. I merely laughed nervously before clearing my throat.

"Oh, my bad. Proceed." I waved my hand out at them. Agni giggled as Vayu sighed.

"Finally! Anyways, the reason that you are here is because we need to tell you about our next meeting point. On the Winter Solstice, you and the Avatar are to go to Roku's temple on Crescent Island." He raised his hand to cut off my protests.

"Yes, I know it's in the fire nation, but it's our best chance. That's part of the reason that we can't tell you everything now. We must explain it to you at the same time as the Avatar gets his instructions from Avatar Roku. Your destinies are intertwined greatly. If you get into Roku's chamber on the Winter Solstice, there will be a statue of Roku. When the light hits his statue we will be able to cross to the realm of humans and speak with you." Vayu finished. Agni smiled at me.

"Any questions?" She asked. I stared at her. _Of course there is! You guys are no help at all!_ Something occurred to me.

"Wait, didn't you communicate to me in Omashu? Why can't you guys just talk to me like that more often? Oh, and how did you heal me?" I questioned.

Agni sighed. "We would communicate like that more often if we could, but you'd need a stronger connection to us. There's a strict law about communicating to humans from the spirit world. The reason why I could do it then was because I may have bent the law slightly." She laughed as she nervously rubbed the back of her head. Vayu frowned in annoyance.

"She says bent, but she technically broke the law. The law says that we can communicate with certain humans, but only under dire circumstances or when we have a strong enough connection. You are one of those humans, and we'll explain that later. Anyways the only time that we are able to communicate with these humans is when they have a fatal wound and specifically pray to us for help. You had a minor wound and didn't even technically pray for help. That's why I consider it _breaking_ the law." He explained as he folded his arms. Agni pouted.

"You're no fun…it was for a good cause." She insisted. I stared at them.

"You know, I would expect the spirit of fire to be meaner than the spirit of air. This is the opposite." I stated, putting my hand on my chin. They stared at me before I yelped as Agni suddenly glomped me.

"Aw! Silly humans and their silly assumptions! Isn't she cute Vayu? Can I keep her?" She cooed as she nuzzled my face. I gasped for air and tried to free myself from the hug demon. Vayu sighed and grabbed the back of Agni's dress.

"Let her breathe you fire-pup." He said as he pulled her off of me. I took a deep breathe. _Sweet air!_ Agni merely pouted and folded her arms as Vayu turned back to me.

"Fire is free-spirited and uncontrollable. Air is also free-spirited, but is calm and controlled. Fire is unpredictable, and can be fierce. Air is ever changing, yet consistent wherever you go. Humans forget that we as spirits have different perspectives on our elements than they do." He explained. I nodded in understanding, a slight blush on my face for being so assuming. I thought about everything that they'd told me. It was a lot to take in, but I knew that I would have to do it if I wanted to know what's going on.

"So I go to Crescent Island in the fire nation with Aang, we get into Roku's chamber, and then you guys tell me what's going on?" I listed off. They nodded in affirmation. I sighed. _Great…this is gonna be fun._ I thought sarcastically as I huffed in frustration. Agni pet my head again.

"I know this is a lot Kai, but you can do it. That's why we chose you." She smiled at me warmly. I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Wait, chose? You guys choose your Azrita Zura? What the heck is tha-!"

"Looks like the Avatar has calmed Hei Bai! It's time for you to go Kai!" Agni cut me off as she pushed me towards the giant tree. A bunch of bamboo had suddenly grown at the entrance. I looked back.

"Hey! W-wait! So is the Azrita Zura some kind of-?" I was cut off again as Vayu grabbed my shoulders.

"You will find out on the Winter Solstice. See you then." He smiled as he promptly threw me, literally, head first into the bamboo.

 _Jerk…_

* * *

"Oomph!" I grunted as my face hit the dirt floor on the other side of the bamboo. I rubbed my face as I slowly got up.

"Vayu…gonna kill that son of a-!" I was cut off _again_ as I was tackled into a hug. I fell backwards carrying the weight with me.

"Kai! You're okay too!" The body shouted into my shoulder. Looking down I realized that it was Katara. I stared in shock when I realized that she had tears in her eyes as she pulled back.

"When Sokka got out without you, we feared the worst." She whispered as I was suddenly pulled into another hug by my brother and Aang. I stared at them as a smile slowly spread onto my face.

"Sorry guys. I didn't mean to worry you. I just had an extended talk with my spirit friends." I said as I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. They all pulled back and stared at me in shock, except for Aang who nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I met with Roku's animal guide in the spirit world too. He didn't exactly talk to me, but he showed me images of what to do. He also showed me an image of you so I'm guessing that you're involved. What did Agni and Vayu say?" Aang asked.

"Well they told me that you and I have to go to an island which has Roku's temple on it. We have to get into a room with a statue of Roku in it, and on the Winter Solstice Roku, Agni, and Vayu will explain to us everything since they'll be able to cross to the human world." I explained. Aang nodded as Katara and Sokka looked at us in shock.

"But, the Solstice is tomorrow!" Katara gasped. Aang and I looked to each other nervously. We both turned to my siblings.

"Yeah, and one other thing…" Aang trailed off.

"It's in the fire nation." I stated, rubbing the back of my head. Katara and Sokka gaped in horror, Aang sighed nervously, and I flinched. I rolled my eyes.

 _Well…this is awkward. Into the fire nation we go!_ I thought with fake joy and a fake smile. But, I wilted as I faced the truth.

 _Yeah…we're all going to die.  
_

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! Sorry this one took a little longer to write!**

 **Also, an alert!** **:**

 **I will be leaving on June 16** **th** **for a trip that will last for 16 days, and after that I might not be fully recovered for a day or two. I will do my absolute best to post the next chapter before I leave so that I don't leave you at a cliffhanger since you find out what Azrita Zura is. It won't all be revealed yet, since most of it will be gradual discoveries, but Kai's main destiny will be revealed! I just wanted to warn you that there will be a big gap in my next couple of updates.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7: Winter Solstice Part 2

**Chapter 7: Winter Solstice Part 2**

 **Hey guys! Here's the 7** **th** **chapter. Glad I could get this up before I left. I hope you enjoy! –Clee0412  
**

* * *

"C'mon Appa! Move, let's go!" Aang shouted. The moonlight shined down on Aang and I as we tried to get Appa to move his furry butt. Aang was tugging at ropes attached to his horns, and I was pushing against his butt.

"Look Appa, my siblings can't come with us to the fire nation. It's gonna be dangerous, and we wouldn't forgive ourselves if they got hurt." I insisted. Aang nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, so get your butt off the ground and let's go!" He shouted as he gave the reins a giant tug. I laughed a little as the ropes pulled him back and he fell onto the ground. I walked over and held out my hand. He smiled gratefully at me as we heard a voice in the background.

"I think that his butt is trying to tell you something." Sokka said. Aang and I looked around Appa and saw Katara and Sokka standing there with the villagers. Katara stepped up.

"Please don't go guys. The world can't afford to lose you to the fire nation, and neither can I." She pleaded. I snorted. I had to interject at that.

"Well the world can't afford to lose Aang. I, on the other hand, am not the Avatar. So you stay here Aang! I'll tell you what Roku said when I get back!" I replied cheekily as I jumped onto Appa and grabbed the reins from Aang. Katara looked at me unamused.

"Not funny Kai. While you may not be the Avatar, you're still important to us." She crossed her arms. I rubbed the back of my head nervously. Aang decided to interject.

"But, we need to get to the temple to figure out what we're supposed to do. We need to get there before the sun sets on the Winter Solstice. That's today!" Aang explained as he joined me up on Appa. He took the reins back as we looked at Sokka and Katara again before beginning to lead Appa away. But, they forced us to stop by running in front of Appa.

"We're not letting you go to the fire nation guys." Katara insisted. We stared at them unsurely.

"At least, not without your friends. We got your back." Sokka smiled at us. I sighed in relief as Momo flew onto Aang's shoulder. _Oh good, I thought that I would have to knock them out or something._

We all laughed as Appa suddenly licked Sokka.

"Ew!" He complained. I clutched my stomach as I pointed at the slobber dripping off of him. Thing 2 walked up to Appa's side holding some supplies. He handed them up to us as he spoke.

"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island. You will have to fly fast if you want any chance of making it." Aang smiled.

"Thank you for your-."

"Go!" The man cut off Aang with a shout. We were immediately up in the air. I waved goodbye to the people as I had a thought. Turning to my siblings I asked,

"Did we ever learn their names?" I scratched my head. They all stared at me with wide eyes before turning to each other in surprise. I shrugged.

"Huh, guess not."

* * *

We all looked down at the water as we flew on Appa. The sun was now high in the sky as we tried to get to the island quickly.

"C'mon Appa! We have a long way to go, faster!" Aang shouted. Appa gave a grunt and sped up. Katara suddenly pointed to the water.

"Uh, guys! We got trouble!" We all looked down and saw Zuko's ship.

"Yeah, and it's gaining fast!" Sokka panicked. I gasped as I saw a fire ball light up on the ship. Katara realized the same thing.

"Fire ball!" we shouted simultaneously as it suddenly shot up at us.

"I'm on it!" Aang quickly veered Appa around the flying ball of death. As it passed us we all plugged our noses at the horrible stench.

"Ew! That smells almost as bad as Sokka's socks!" I complained. Sokka gave me a smack on the head for that.

"Aang we need to get away from him before he shoots more hot stinkers at us!" Katara shouted. Aang looked down in horror at the water.

"Yeah, just one small problem." He pointed at the water. We looked down and gasped as we saw a blockade of fire nation ships in our path.

"If we fly north we can get around the ships, it's the only way!" Aang insisted, but Katara shook her head.

"There's no time!" She said.

"This is why I didn't want you guys to come! It's too dangerous!" Aang groaned in frustration.

"And that's exactly why we're here." Katara responded. I threw my hands up.

"You guys make no sense! Why can't you be normal and avoid danger." I complained. She merely smirked at me as I pouted.

"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka shouted, further proving my point that we are crazy. But, oh well. Aang looked at us unsurely before turning around in determination.

"Appa, yip yip!" He shouted. We sped up towards the blockade. As we neared the blockade we screamed as all the ships launched fireballs at us. Appa desperately flew around the fire balls, but one neared his head. I quickly jumped up and ran to Appa's head.

"Aang! Just steer Appa! I've got this." I shouted as I took my stance on Appa's head. He nodded his head in affirmation as we flew towards the flying balls of death. In my head I silently gave a little prayer. _Agni, you don't have to break the rules and talk with me. I just need your help with my fire. Please help me to protect my family._

I took a deep breath as the first fire ball approached. With a grunt I punched my fist out and shot a blast of fire at the projectile. It exploded. I pushed down my satisfaction as more approached us. I repetitively shot blasts of fire from my fists and occasionally my feet at the balls of fire.

Explosions appeared everywhere around us as I destroyed the rocks. I wobbled as I grew fatigued. I had never fire bended so much. As another flew at us I quickly shot another blast at it, but I bent over on Appa's head gasping.

Aang quickly began to steep Appa around the fire balls again as he saw that I was tired. Suddenly Katara screamed. Looking behind me I gasped as I saw Sokka fly out of Appa's saddle.

"Sokka!" Aang shouted as he pulled Appa around. We flew down as we desperately tried to catch Sokka. We flew right above the water as he fell towards us screaming. Katara reached out her hand and luckily pulled him back into the saddle.

We flew around a couple more fire balls as we approached the ships. But, they suddenly stopped falling. I watched in anticipation as I saw a rock light up in the front ship.

Suddenly is shot straight at us. Pulling myself up I collected all the fire I could into my hands. With a yell I shot the fire out of my hands in a large stream of flames. It connected with the rock and exploded, covering us with soot. I gasped as we flew over the blockade safely, and the exertion took over my body. Aang caught me as I collapsed.

"Kai! Are you okay?" He looked down at me in concern. I waved him off as I continued to gasp for breath.

"Just peachy." I gave him a thumbs up. He handed me to Katara before grabbing the reins again. She laid my head in her lap as she gave me a cup of water. I smiled at her gratefully as I drank to refreshing drink.

"Well we made it through!" Aang shouted happily. Sokka looked much less sure.

"We got into the fire nation…great."

* * *

"There it is! The island that Roku's dragon took me to!" Aang suddenly shouted, pointing at Crescent Island.

I rubbed my eyes sleepily as I awoke from my nap. Stretching, I gave a yawn as we landed Appa behind a wall of rock.

"You did it buddy. Nice flying!" Aang said as he pet Appa's head. As soon as we all got off Appa groaned and rolled onto his side. I giggled as Katara and I pet his belly.

"Aw, you must be tired." Katara cooed. Sokka who was stretching smiled.

"Nope, I'm good! Refreshed and ready to fight some fire benders." He said as he began to jog in place. I laughed at him as Katara looked at him in annoyance.

"I was talking to Appa." She said. Sokka's eyes grew wide as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"Well, I was talking to…Momo!" He insisted. I snorted and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's okay Sokka. Nobody believes you anyways." I stated, patting him on the shoulder. He glared at me as I shrugged at him.

"Now let's go into the fire nation temple, on a fire nation island, in the fire nation!" I shouted as I beamed at the others. My siblings groaned as Aang and I ran over to the large temple.

* * *

"There are no guards; the fire nation must have abandoned it after Avatar Roku's death." Katara commented as we hid behind some rocks in front of the temple. Aang and I looked up at the setting sun.

"It's almost sunset! We need to go!" Aang shouted as we ran into the temple. We ran into a large chamber filled with red light. We tiptoed through the room.

"Wait, I think I heard something." Sokka said. We all turned around and saw five men dressed in red. _Wow, the fire nation really like red and pointy hats._ The men stood in the door way.

"We are the fire sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar." The man in front said, quite dramatically might I add. I rolled my eyes.

"Great! I'm the Avatar!" Aang shouted. They just glared at us.

"We know." And then they promptly shot blasts of fire at our faces. Aang and I reacted quickly and stopped the fire. Turning towards us, Aang shouted.

"I'll distract them! Run!" We ran through the door on the other side of the chamber. We ran as fast as we could through the hallways. Suddenly Aang ran through the doorway in front of us.

"Follow me!" He shouted as we began to run again.

"How did you even get here?!" I yelled at his back. He shrugged in response as we continued to run.

"Do you even know where you're going?!" Sokka interjected. Aang yelled back.

"Nope!" _Well that's reassuring._ Aang disappeared around the corner ahead of us, but reappeared seconds later.

"Wrong way!" He shouted. A fire sage suddenly ran up through the door that Aang had just taken.

"Wait!" He yelled. I snorted. _Yeah right!_ We continued running through random hallways. I gasped as Aang led us into a dead end. Turning around we saw the fire sage corner us. We all prepared to fight him.

"I don't want to fight you. I am a friend." He insisted as he put his hands up. Sokka glared at him.

"Fire benders aren't our friends!" He shouted. Katara promptly smacked his head. He glared at her in confusion before she pointed at me. He smiled sheepishly.

"Oops, Kai's the exception." He reiterated. I smirked, and put my hands on my hips. But, then our attention was drawn to the fire sage again as he suddenly bowed before Aang.

"I know why you're here Avatar." He stated.

"You do?" Aang asked. We all looked very confused. But, the fire sage nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, you wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him." He stated, standing up.

"How?" Aang asked in suspicion. The sage put his hand up to a hallway light and pulled it to the side, revealing a small hole. Putting his hand on the hole, the man shot fire into it. Suddenly a doorway next to the light opened and revealed a secret passageway.

"This way." The sage pointed into the door. We all stared at him, still suspicious. But, we heard the other sage's voices down the hall.

"Time is running out! Quickly!" He insisted. We all looked at each other before nodding and walking through the doorway. The fire sage followed us, and closed the door.

We walked through a large chamber of rock, and down some stairs before walking up a path made of hardened magma.

"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home. He formed these secret passages out of the magma." The fire sage commented as we walked along the path.

"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asked. The sage shook his head.

"No, but my grandfather did. Many generations of fire sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place." He explained.

"Is that how you knew I was coming?" Aang questioned again. The fire sage nodded.

"A few weeks ago an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku, its eyes began to glow." He stated.

"That's when we were at the air temple! Avatar Roku's eyes glowed there too." Katara interjected.

"At that moment we knew you had returned to the world." The sage finished. Aang looked at the man confused.

"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the sages attack me?"

"Things have changed. In the past the sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died the sages eagerly waited for the next Avatar to return, but he never came." He explained. Aang looked down guiltily.

"They were waiting for me." He whispered. Sokka put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't feel bad. You're only a hundred years late." He said with a smile. I walked over a smacked him on the head as Aang glared at him. The fire sage ignored us and continued.

"They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return. When Fire lord Sozin began the war my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him. I never wanted to serve the fire lord. When I learned you were coming I knew I would have to betray the other sages." He said.

"Thank you for helping me." Aang smiled at the sage gratefully. He smiled back. Then I had a thought.

"Hey, what's your name? Wouldn't want to make the same mistake twice." I asked thinking about Thing 1 and Thing 2. He turned to me with a smile.

"My name is Shyu young fire bender." I smiled back at him as we followed him up a column of stairs.

"We will follow these stairs to the sanctuary. Once you're inside wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him." He explained as we continued to walk. Once we reached the top he opened a panel above our heads and walked into a large room. As we followed him in, he suddenly gasped.

"No…" He whispered. Ahead of us was a large door with a fire nation design and 5 connected dragon heads. Aang looked at Shyu in confusion.

"What's wrong Shyu?" He asked. Shyu merely walked up to the door.

"The sanctuary doors, they're closed." He said in horror. We stared at him.

"Can't you just open them with fire bending? Like you opened that other door?" Katara asked as Aang and I pushed on the door, trying to make it budge. Shyu shook his head.

"No, only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise the sages must open the door together with five simultaneous fire blasts." He explained.

"So I guess that means that just you and I can't open it, right? The most fire blasts we could make together are four." I sighed. He nodded in affirmation. I looked over at Sokka who had a thinking face on.

"Five fire blasts, huh? I think I can help you out." He smiled. I looked at him.

"Uh, did you become a fire bender in the last 2 minutes or something?" I asked, folding my arms. He shook his head. He walked over to a lamp on the wall and took it off. Uncapping it, he sat down and grabbed out five bags with string.

"This is a little trick I picked up from my father. I seal the lamp oil in these animal skin bags. Shyu lights the oil soaked twine, and ta-dah! Fake fire bending!" He announced. We all smiled at him.

"You've out done yourself this time Sokka." Katara complimented.

Shyu smiled at the bags and said, "This might actually work."

I walked over to Sokka and gave him a slap on the back.

"Hey, Sokka can actually come up with good ideas! Who knew?" I beamed at him. He glared at me and smacked me on the head.

"Why can't you be more supportive?" He pouted. I smirked at him.

"Then I wouldn't be the fun little sister you know and love." I stated. He sighed, but offered no rebuttal. We grabbed the little bags and stuck them into the holes in the doorway. Stepping back, we prepared to light them.

"The other sages will hear the explosions so once the doors open, you rush in." He said to Aang. I raised my hand.

"Uh, I'm going too." He looked at me in confusion.

"You are? Why?" He asked.

"Eh, spirit talk and all that fun stuff." I shrugged. He still looked confused, but nodded and walked over to the side of the door. He shot a small flame at the strings and lit them all. We all ran behind the columns inside the room and plugged our ears. I smirked as I saw Sokka hugging Katara's legs. _You big baby._

When the fire reached the bags, a large * _BOOM*_ shook the building. Smoke filled the room as Aang and I immediately rushed towards the doors. But, when we arrived the doors were still closed. I tugged on the handles desperately before turning to the others and shaking my head.

"There still locked." Aang sighed. Shyu looked at the doors in sadness.

"It didn't work." He stated as we all looked at the locked doors in front of us.

* * *

"Why won't it open!" Aang shouted as he shot blasts of air at the door in frustration. We had been sitting in the room for a while trying to open the doors, but they wouldn't budge. Honestly I'm surprised that the other sages weren't there yet. _It's probably because they're old_. I thought as I continued trying to kick the door down.

"Aang stop! There's nothing else we can do." Katara said, grabbing his arm. Aang looked down.

"I'm sorry I put you through all this for nothing." He said. I groaned as I gave the door another hard kick.

"Stupid door." I muttered as I held my injured foot. Katara looked at me unamused.

"Kai, I don't think that you'll be able to kick the door down." She said. I shrugged and continued to kick the door. Sokka walked up and rubbed some of the soot off the door.

"I don't understand. That blast looked as strong as any fire bending I've ever seen." He said as he stared at the doors. Suddenly, Katara's eyes widened.

"Sokka, you're a genius!" We all stared at her.

"How is Sokka a genius? His plan didn't even work." Aang asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, and even if it did work I wouldn't exactly label him as 'genius'." I said putting my fingers up in air quotes. Sokka waved us off.

"C'mon guys, let her dream." He smirked. Katara just shook her head.

"Your right, it didn't work. But, it looks like it did." She pointed at the doors. Aang and I shared confused looks.

"Did the definition of genius change in the last hundred years?" Aang asked me. I shrugged.

"Apparently it's been changed to, 'A person who's plans don't work, but look like they did. Can be applied to complete idiots from the Water tribe.'"

* * *

"Come quickly! The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!" Shyu yelled as he led the other sages to the door. Katara and Sokka were hiding behind some pillars, while Aang and I hid behind the pillar nearest to the doorway.

"How did he get in?" The sage that attacked us earlier asked. Shyu shook his head.

"I don't know, but look at the scorch marks and down there." He pointed at the shadow under the doorway. The sages gasped.

"He's inside! Open the doors quickly, before he contacts Avatar Roku!" They all lined up and shot streams of fire into the holes. The door creaked as the dragon heads moved down and the flames of the insignia parted. The door opened and the sages all stared inside. There, in the doorway, was a dirty Momo.

"It's the Avatar's lemur! He must've crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked-Ah!" He was cut off as Momo suddenly jumped onto his face. As the others restrained the sages, Aang and I turned to each other and nodded. Just as we were about to go out, a hand was put over both of our mouths.

"Unless you two want nice burns on your faces, you won't struggle." Zuko's voice came from behind us. I turned slightly and gave him my hardest glare. His grip on my face tightened.

"Aang! Kai! Now's your chance!" Katara shouted from by the doorway. Zuko dragged us out into the open.

"The Avatar's coming with me." He announced. The other sages quickly switched positions with the others and had Shyu and my siblings restrained in seconds. Momo flew off somewhere with one of the sages hats. As they began chaining the others to some columns Zuko threw me at one of the sages.

"Take the girl. She's useless to me. Close the doors!" He ordered. One of the sages grabbed me and began to lead me over to a column as the others began to close the doors.

As Zuko led Aang to the stairs, Aang's eyes locked with mine. We nodded at each other. I quickly head-butted the sage holding me. As he released me to hold his face I elbowed his gut. Aang was able to kick Zuko down the stairs, and joined me as we ran towards the closing doors.

The fire sages blocked our path and began to shoot fire at us. Aang jumped over their heads and through the doors as I simply blocked their fire and power-slid through them, barely making it.

"Woo-hoo! We're alive!" I shouted with a smile as I stood up. Aang and I high-fived each other before taking a look inside the room. Inside the room was a large statue of Avatar Roku with a red light hitting it. I looked up and saw a large, red gem casting the light. Aang looked around in confusion.

"The light hits the statue and we talk to the spirits, so why isn't anything happening?" He asked. I shrugged as we stared at the statue. Aang let out a groan of frustration.

"I don't know what I'm doing! All I know is air bending. Please Roku, I need your help!" Aang pleaded. I nodded.

"Yeah, some help from Agni and Vayu would be nice to. They're all like, 'You'll know when you're ready' and it's annoying!" I groaned. Suddenly dust filled the room, and Aang and I weren't in the sanctuary anymore. We were standing on the peak of a high mountain surrounded by rocks and clouds in the sky. Standing in front of us were three figures.

"It's good to see you Aang. What took you so long?" Avatar Roku asked with a smile on his face. Aang bowed to him as Roku turned to me.

"Ah, so you're the Azrita Zura I've been hearing so much about. Nice to finally meet you Kai." He said. I smiled and waved at him, but suddenly I was knocked back as I was glomped.

"Kai! You're here! I missed my little fire bender! Vayu get over here and join in the family hug!" Agni shouted as I struggled for air. Vayu sighed and walked over to us.

"Agni, learn restraint. And we aren't a family." He stated as me pulled her off of me. She pouted at him before turning to Aang.

"Look! Our little fire bender's all grown up! She's bringing home boys!" Agni ignored Vayu and went to tackle Aang, who hid behind me with a look of horror on his face. Vayu sighed again and rubbed his temples.

"Agni, if you don't behave yourself I shall have the other spirits escort you home. Then you won't be able to talk to Kai and the Avatar." He said as he crossed his arms. Agni gave a gasp of horror and obediently went over to Vayu's side and sat down. Vayu sighed in relief. A laugh suddenly cut through the air.

"You two are entertaining as always." Roku commented with a laugh before turning to Aang and I.

"But, I believe that we have some business to attend." He stated. Vayu and Agni immediately sobered and stood up straight. They nodded to Roku before also turning to us.

"Aang, Kai. We have some very important things to discuss with you both. But, we'll start with Aang's message." Roku began. Aang stared at Roku wide eyed.

"Is it about my vision? The one about the comet?" Aang asked.

"Yes." Roku nodded. Aang stared at Roku in confusion.

"What does it mean?"

"100 years ago Fire Lord Sozin used that comet to begin the war. He and his fire bending army harnessed its incredible power and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations." Roku explained.

"So the comet made them stronger?" Aang asked.

"Yes, stronger than you can even imagine." Roku nodded. Aang was still confused.

"But, that happened a hundred years ago. What does the comet have to do with the war now?" He asked. Roku looked at Aang seriously.

"Listen carefully. Sozin's comet will come again by the end of this summer, and Fire lord Ozai will use its power to finish the war once and for all. If he succeeds, even the Avatar won't be able to restore balance to the world. Aang, you must defeat the Fire lord before the comet arrives." Roku explained. I stared at him in shock. _Dang, that's rough Aang. Heh, I rhymed._

"But, I haven't even started to learn water bending! Not to mention earth and fire!" Aang broke me out of my thoughts as he shouted.

"Mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice. But, if the world is to survive you must do it before summer's end." Roku insisted.

"That's reassuring." I murmured. Aang stared at Roku in horror.

"But, what if I can't do it? What if I fail?!" Aang questioned. Roku merely smiled.

"I know you can do it Aang, for you have done it before." He said as Aang smiled back. Roku turned to me.

"You will also have a strong ally in young Kai here." He stated as he looked at me. I stared at him in confusion.

"Moi?" I asked, pointing at myself. He smiled at me and nodded. Agni suddenly jumped up and raised her hand.

"Yay! It's our turn Vayu!" She shouted. Vayu merely nodded. They both turned to me. Vayu spoke first.

"Kai, you've been wondering what Azrita Zura is, right?" I nodded at his question. _I've been dying to know!_

"Well, in our language, Azrita Zura literally translates into chosen warrior **(1)**." He explained. I looked at him in confusion and asked.

"So I'm your chosen warrior? What does that mean?" He took a deep breath before continuing.

"There are some people in the world that are chosen by spirits at birth. They are chosen for a purpose and are given powers by the spirit to complete a certain task. We chose you Kai. Usually there is only one spirit as a patron, but you are different. Agni and I had a common goal that we need to work together on. When we saw you, we knew that you were our chosen warrior." Vayu explained. I stared at him in shock.

"You chose me? Have you just been controlling me? Task? Powers? You aren't explaining anything!" I shouted I frustration as I grabbed my head. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to meet Aang's sympathetic look. He smiled at me in reassurance. I took a breath, and gave him a shaky smile in return. I turned back to Agni and Vayu. They both had sad smiles on their faces.

"Kai, the only thing that we controlled in your life was where the merchant ship that you were found on landed, and where Hakoda chose to look for food. We have helped you in your life when in danger, but we always left your choices up to you. Your choices are the reason that we chose you. We knew what your heart would be like, and we knew that you were the best choice." Agni reassured with a smile. I nodded, but I still rubbed my head.

"And what about this task? And what powers have you given me?" I asked. Vayu stepped up.

"Your task is why you are connected with the Avatar. He is to bring peace to the nations by defeating the fire lord, but when he does there will still be animosity between fire benders and the world. You are to bring peace between the benders themselves. You must show the people that fire is not destruction, and bring the true meaning of fire back to life." He explained. I stared at him with wide eyes.

"I can't do that! How am I supposed to show the world something when they've already become convinced in their own conclusions?!" I shouted Agni put her hand on my shoulder.

"It will become clear in time. You can do it Kai. I trust you to bring my people back to the truth." She smiled. I looked at her, and thought about how hard it must be to become hated and feared because your people misusing your gift. I smiled at Agni in sympathy before she continued.

"Now, onto the fun stuff! You already have most of the powers that Vayu and I have given you. I obviously gave you your fire. But, your fire is stronger than most. Probably the strongest if you train hard enough." She smirked. I fist-pumped. _Awesome!_

"I gave you two powers. One is a spiritual connection that awoke when Hei Bai brought you to the spirit realm. This will allow you to speak with Agni and I. You can talk to us in your head now without us breaking the law. Also you can journey to the spirit realm, but you need to somehow boost your connection to us when you do that unlike the Avatar." Vayu explained. My eyes widened.

"So, I could've talked to you guys earlier today? Why didn't you tell me?!" I shouted at Agni. She rubbed her head sheepishly.

"I wanted to surprise you." She shrugged with a smile. I groaned.

"Meanie, but I still think that the powers are awesome! But, what's the second power?" I asked Vayu. He smiled at me.

"You will find out soon. I also like to surprise you." He smirked. I gasped at him.

"You're just as bad as Agni!" I accused. He actually looked offended at that. Agni merely laughed.

"Calm down you two. Agni, Vayu. Isn't there more that you want to explain to Kai?" Roku asked as he glared at the spirits. They flinched. I looked at them in confusion.

"More? What else is there?" I asked. They looked at me sadly.

"Kai, being the Azrita Zura of two spirits takes a lot out of you. Because you have a human body, the powers given to you drain your life force. That's why there is usually only one spirit patron for a human." Agni explained as she looked down. Aang and I stared at them in shock.

"My…life force? And, what exactly does that mean?" I whispered out, almost afraid of the answer. Vayu took a deep breath.

"It means exactly how it sounds. A normal Azrita Zura rarely lives until half the normal life span. You have two patrons who gave you powers. We have no idea the toll it will take on you." Vayu explained sadly. They all stared at me and gauged my reaction. I stared at the floor, numb. _I'll die before even half of a normal life span?_ I could feel tears form in my eyes.

Suddenly a loud shout broke me out of my reverie.

"How could you guys chose Kai?! You knew that this would kill her! There had to be better ways of uniting the benders!" Aang shouted in fury. He glared at the spirits as they flinched under his glare, but I put my hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Aang. Don't be mad with them. I'm sure they feel bad about this. And, it was thanks to them that I didn't die when I was a baby anyways." I gave him a slight smile. He just stared at me in shock. Roku walked up and put his hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Calm down Aang. They didn't say that there was no way of stopping Kai's fate." He said with a slight smile. Aang and I looked at him in shock. I looked at Agni and Vayu.

"It can be stopped?" I asked. They looked at each other before turning to me.

"Theoretically it can be. Your powers draw from your life chakra. This is where your Avatar friend comes in. The Avatar could possibly block the drainage of your chakra, but then you'd need another source to draw from." Vayu explained. Aang shot up with a gleam in his eye.

"But, there's still a chance!" He shouted happily. He turned to me.

"Kai, I swear that I will do anything that I can to help you." He promised. I smiled at him.

"Thanks Aang." I said as I gave him a hug. He was a good friend. He nodded with a smile. Turning back to the spirits I smiled.

"So, anything else?" I asked. They looked shocked at my nonchalance, but smiled at me.

"Nope, you're good to go!" Agni beamed. Vayu smiled at me, and Roku turned towards Aang and me.

"The Winter Solstice comes to an end. It's time for us to part ways, for now." He stated. Aang and I nodded. Suddenly a vision entered our minds. We saw a fire nation ship outside of the island. Then we saw a man that looked like a monkey preparing to shoot fire at the doorway with some soldiers.

"Great danger awaits you in the temple. Aang, I can help you. But, only if you are ready." Roku stated. I gasped as Aang's tattoos suddenly began to glow, and when he opened his eyes they glowed too.

"I'm ready." He said. His voice sounded like a bunch of people talking at once. Roku turned to me.

"Kai, you might want to stay behind Aang." He advised. I nodded. _It would probably be for the best. I don't want to be barbequed._ I shivered at the thought. Turning to Agni and Vayu I bowed.

"I'll talk to you guys later." I waved with a smile. They smiled back, and Agni hugged me again.

"See you later Kai. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry." She whispered in my ear. I shook my head as I hugged her back.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I smiled at her. She smiled back. All three spirits waved goodbye as the scenery faded, and we were back in the sanctuary. I turned to Aang and squeaked when I was a glowing Avatar Roku instead, and boy did he look mad. I had to look away as the room lit up with light, and the doors opened.

"Ready!" I head a man shout.

"No, Aang! Kai!" Katara shouted from the room.

"Fire!" I quickly hid behind Aang as fire was shot at us from the soldiers. I heard gasps as Aang, or Roku, bended the fire around him and shot it back out at the soldiers. He glared at the sages, scaring them off. With a grunt, Roku split the floor. He raised his hand, and I gasped as lava shot out of the ground. I felt the building shake.

Suddenly the wind gathered around Roku in a dust cloud. When it dispersed, Aang was left standing. He groaned, and I quickly caught him as he began to fall, but I was also tired and he began to slip out of my hands. My siblings ran up to us and lifted Aang up.

"We got your back." Sokka said as he smiled at us. Katara smiled from the other side of Aang.

"Thanks, where's Shyu?" Aang asked as we began to leave the temple. Looking around, the fire sage was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know." Katara said. We walked over to the stairs and gasped as we saw that it was flooded with lava. Looking out the gaping hole in the side of the temple, we saw the building begin to lean and fall towards the ground.

"Well this is just great." I groaned. But, I smiled as I saw Momo and Appa flying towards us.

"Yay! We won't be cooked today!" I shouted in glee as I jumped out of the temple and into Appa's saddle. Aang and my siblings laughed as they followed after me. We flew away from the temple as it crashed and burned. Aang and I stared at the temple. I wondered how things would turn out. _Hopefully I'll live to see my 25_ _th_ _birthday_. I sighed at my thoughts. Suddenly Momo popped up next to us, and I laughed at him.

"Nice hat Momo." I said as I looked at the fire sage hat sitting on his head. My siblings looked over and laughed as well. I looked over at Aang, and saw the serious expression he wore. I sobered up. _We did find out a lot today. It's kinda hard to digest. But, at least we have each other._ I smiled at that thought and put my hand on Aang's shoulder. He looked over at me.

"We're in this together Aang, no matter what." I stated. He smiled at me gratefully and nodded.

"You're right, and don't forget that I'll keep my promise." He said with a determined face. I nodded and pulled him into a hug. I felt another hug from behind and glanced at Katara and Sokka as they joined the hug. I smiled, and Aang and I looked at each other. We had the same thought, and nodded.

 _No matter what, this is our family. We will protect it._

 _Even if we die trying.  
_

* * *

 **(1): Azrita Zura is the pronunciation for the Hindu words that I posted in the second chapter. I made Hindu the language for Agni and Vayu since they're Hindu spirits.**

 **It's done! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! I hope I explained the Azrita Zura stuff well. Next one will be out sometime at the beginning of July after my trip! See you then!**


	8. Chapter 8: Water Bending Scroll

**Chapter 8: Water Bending Scroll**

 **Hey guys! I'm sorry about the delay, but I'm finally back from my trip! It's taken me a little bit longer to get this post up because I'm seriously jet-lagged, not fun _ Anyways, here's the next chapter of the story, enjoy!**

 **PS: After I finish book 1 of the series I'm going to go back and fix some of the chapters and add in that chapter about Kai finding her fire bending. So there'll be a little gap in between Book 1 and Book 2.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Kai  
**

* * *

"I swear! If you don't sit down right now I'm gonna blast you off of Appa myself!" I shouted as we flew in the air. Aang had been pacing practically ever since we left the fire temple. I was beginning to get dizzy just by watching him.

"Yeah, seriously. If we hit a bump you'll go flying off." Sokka said from Appa's head. Katara merely looked at Aang in concern.

"How would we hit a bump in the _air_?" I questioned my brother. I was pretty sure that there were no bumps in the sky. He just looked over at me with an irritated face.

"It's called turbulence Kai." He stated, rolling his eyes. I stared back at him, and tilted my head in confusion.

"…Sokka don't make up words." I admonished as I folded my arms. A loud _*Smack*_ echoed in the air as Sokka smacked his face. He just grumbled as I stared at the red handprint on his face. _What'd I say?_

"Never mind…Anyways, what's bugging you Aang?" Sokka sighed as he changed the subject.

"It's what Avatar Roku said at the temple! I'm supposed to master all four elements before the comet arrives! And, to top it all off I have to figure out how to save K-!" Aang immediately cut himself off. He glanced over at me with wide eyes as I gave him a pointed look. I had asked him earlier to keep the whole 'I might die' thing a secret from my siblings for now. Hopefully they won't ever find out.

"I-I mean, save the whole world…of course." He corrected as he rubbed the back of his head. I smiled at him gratefully as my siblings looked at him weirdly, but shrugged it off. Sokka merely turned around to face the sky again.

"Well let's see. You pretty much mastered air bending, and that only took you 112 years. I'm sure you can master three more elements by next summer." Sokka smirked as he looked back at us. Aang looked horrified at the thought. Katara and I glared at our brother.

"Sokka, not helping." Katara glared at him.

"You're a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" I sighed as I leaned back in the saddle.

"It's a gift." He replied proudly as he put his hand up to his chest. Meanwhile, Aang continued his freak out.

"I haven't even started to learn water bending yet, and we're still weeks away from the North Pole! What am I gonna do?!" He shouted as he began pacing again. Suddenly he was pulled down as Katara grabbed his hand. She sat him down.

"Calm down, it's going to be okay." She promised as she held his hands. Aang just looked down.

"If you want, I can try and teach you some of the stuff that I know." She smiled. Aang immediately brightened up.

"You'd do that?" He asked as he smiled at her gratefully. Katara nodded before looking over Appa's saddle.

"We'll need to find a good source of water first." She stated. At the word 'water' I immediately shot up in alarm. No one seemed to notice thankfully.

"Maybe we can find a puddle for you to splash in." Sokka smirked, obviously thinking that he was _so_ cool. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. _It's different, you won't get hurt. So woman up, and calm down!_ I mentally encouraged myself. I took a few more breaths before lying back down and watching the sky.

 _This is going to be fun_ … _not._

* * *

"Nice…puddle." Sokka grumbled as we all stared at the crystal clear lake that had a waterfall flowing into it, with varying reactions. Sokka looked annoyed, Katara and Aang looked excited, and I was currently refraining from running away screaming bloody murder. I shivered as I stared at the menacingly innocent water. I flinched as Appa belly-flopped into the water and began rolling around.

"Yeah! Don't start without me boy!" Aang shouted. I looked over at him in shock as I realized that he had somehow speed-stripped down to his shorts. Katara looked at him unamused.

"Remember the reason we're here in the first place." She stated. Aang turned back around.

"Oh, right. Time to practice water bending." He smiled as he pulled up his pants. Sokka looked between the two off them.

"Great, so what am I supposed to do?" He asked. Aang looked around for a second.

"You could…clean the gunk out of Appa's toes?" He suggested as he picked up a small branch and offered it to Sokka. Sokka looked at it, unimpressed.

"So while you guys are playing around in water I'm supposed to be hard at work picking mud out of a giant bison's feet?" He questioned, crossing his arms. Aang just smiled.

"Mud and bugs." He added. Sokka stared at the offered branch critically for a minute.

"Okay." He submitted and merely grabbed the branch, walking over to the bison. I looked back over to Katara and Aang.

"Right…well while Sokka does that, I'm gonna go somewhere to practice my fire bending." I said as I pointed over at the forest behind us. Katara and Aang nodded.

"Okay, don't go too far!" Katara yelled behind me as I walked off. As soon as I passed a few trees I turned around. Seeing that the others were occupied, I promptly collapsed next to a tree.

"Glad to be out of there." I sighed in relief. I took a few deep breaths before standing up and brushing myself off. Walking a bit further from the lake, I found a large clearing in the forest.

"Hmm…this'll be a good place to practice." I smiled as I observed the clearing. I stretched my arms above my head.

"Well, time to get to work!"

* * *

I panted on the floor of the now burnt clearing. The ground around me was scorched, and a few branches in the tree were on fire. I wiped the sweat off of my face as I sat up. I still wasn't used to fire bending yet, so it always exhausted me whenever I did it. Today I had worked on increasing the size of my fire blasts, and also my fire sword technique. I sighed as I pushed myself to my feet. _I should probably see what the others are doing._

I walked through the forest back to where the lake was. Luckily I could still hear the waterfall so I wouldn't get lost. I pushed a branch out of my face as I entered the clearing, and promptly fell down laughing as I saw Sokka get swept away by a giant wave. I kept on laughing until I realized that the wave was heading for me too. I stared in horror at the approaching wave.

"Oh you have got to be kidd-!" I was cut off as my body was engulfed in water. I immediately panicked as air escaped my lungs. I tried to move my limbs and swim upwards, but I felt as if chains were holding me down. My limbs were paralyzed at my sides. My eyes widened in horror. _Move! Stupid body!_ I internally screamed at myself, but my body refused my commands. I couldn't hold my breath for much longer. Just as I felt darkness creeping into my vision, I felt arms encircle my waist and yank me upward.

As soon as my head broke to the surface I immediately coughed up water and began greedily sucking in air. I felt myself being pulled to shore. I glanced behind me and caught a glimpse of my brother.

"…Sokka." I whispered. He didn't reply as he pulled me up onto the ground away from the water. I coughed a bit more as I pushed myself to sit up. I sighed in relief.

"You okay?" Sokka asked as he patted my back. I merely nodded in response.

"Kai! Are you okay?"

"Gosh, I'm so sorry Kai!" Katara and Aang called out as they ran over to us.

"We saw you go under, but after you didn't immediately come up we got worried! What happened?" Katara questioned worriedly. I laughed nervously as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Uh…nothing! I was just…taken off guard I guess?" I lied weakly. None of them seemed to believe me. Aang stared at me more concerned than anything, Sokka looked upset, and Katara was giving me _the look_ as she crossed her arms.

"You can't expect us to believe that when you almost drowned." Sokka stated unimpressed. I shrugged. _I can always hope._ Looking over at Katara I realized that she had a thoughtful look on her face as she examined my face.

"…Is it about what happened when we were imprisoned?" She asked abruptly. Sokka, Aang, and I looked up at her in shock. Sokka and Aang because they hadn't thought of that and me because she was very blunt about it. Katara just continued to stare at me as I looked at the ground.

"Maybe?" I winced as I thought about it. I jumped a little when a fist hit the ground next to me.

"Those fire nation bastards! I swear, if I see any of their faces again, I'm gonna-!"

"Sokka calm down!" Sokka was interrupted by my sister. He just glared at the ground as she put her hand on his shoulder. Aang knelt next to me and gave me a hug.

"It's okay to have fears Kai. But, don't worry. We won't ever let anything like that happen to you ever again!" He reassured me as he rubbed my back. I pulled away and smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks Aang. I know that the water isn't something for me to be afraid of, it's just that my body reacts that way." I sighed as I hugged my knees to my chest. He patted me on the shoulder as Katara knelt in front of me and grabbed my hands.

"We understand Kai. It's nothing to be ashamed of. We'll help you get over this fear." She smiled. I smiled back, happy that they were so nice about it.

"Yeah, I mean can you imagine going to the North Pole with a fear of water? That would turn out _so_ well." Sokka interrupted the moment with his sarcastic remark. _Okay, maybe not_ all _of them were nice._ I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, like you can say anything Mr. Fear-of-penguins." I smirked. He blushed madly as he glared at me.

"That was when I was like 5, and I thought they were trying to kill me!" He argued. Katara joined in.

"Right, because a baby penguin tried to give you a hug. So terrifying!" We laughed as Sokka huffed in indignation. But, even he cracked a small smile.

"Yeah yeah, it's pick on Sokka day." He sighed as he stood up. He brushed himself off before offering me a hand. I smirked as I grabbed his hand and stood up as well.

"Dude, that's like every day." I smiled as I pet his head. He smacked my hand away with a huff before helping Katara up as well. She smiled as she brushed the dirt off of her clothes.

"Well, I think that we can all agree that that's enough practice for today." Katara stated.

"Yeah, you guys just practiced our supplies down the river!" Sokka complained before looking over at me.

"Oh, and almost drowned Kai." He added as an afterthought. I rolled my eyes.

"Glad to see you care, dear brother." I replied sarcastically. Aang rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry, well I'm sure we can find someplace to replace the stuff." He smiled apologetically. Sokka just groaned.

"It was hard enough when you were just an air bender." He mumbled. I just smiled at his misery and patted his back. Katara began walking down the river.

"C'mon, there's bound to be some sort of port at the end of this river."

* * *

We arrived at some sort of rundown port. There were lots of ships docked at the harbor and the place was full of shops and people with facial piercings.

"This place looks kinda…sketchy." I mumbled as I looked over at a shopkeeper waving a small bag in the air.

"C'mon men! Who's brave enough to look inside of this bag?!" He shouted as he stood on top of the counter in his stall.

"Kai, no." Sokka didn't even look over as he grabbed the back of my shirt before I could run over.

"Aw, but Sokka! I wanna look in the bag!" I pouted. He just pulled me away from the stall. Aang looked at me sympathetically as he was dragged by Katara.

We went around the port buying supplies with the money King Bumi gave us. Sokka had just walked into the last shop as we waited outside.

"Okay so we have exactly three copper pieces left from the money that Bumi gave us. Let's spend it wisely." Sokka stated as he walked out of the shop with a few bags over his shoulder. Aang looked up guiltily.

"Uh, make that two copper pieces Sokka. I just couldn't say no to this whistle." Aang smiled as he pulled out a bison shaped whistle from his pocket. Taking a deep breath he blew into the whistle as the rest of us plugged our ears. But, all that we heard was a tiny noise of air blowing through.

"It doesn't even work." Sokka said as he pulled his fingers out of his ears. Momo screeched at Aang when he stopped blowing.

"See, even Momo thinks that it's a piece of junk." Sokka added. Aang slouched disappointed.

"No offense Aang, but I'll hold the money from now on." Katara said as she held her hand out. Aang handed the money over sadly as I put my hands on my hips.

"Why does Aang have the money in the first place?" I asked. They all stared at me.

"Good point." Sokka rubbed the back of his head as Aang pouted even more.

* * *

"Earth nation! Fire nation! Water nation! As long as bargains are your inclination, you're welcome here! Come on by, don't be shy!" A man shouted from the front of a ship/shop as we walked by. I stared at his long hair and pink lips.

"Is that a woman?" I asked as we got nearer. Aang looked over as well before turning back to me.

"Probably better not to ask." He stated. I nodded in agreement. The man (I think at least, since he has a mustache) noticed us and immediately ran over.

"You there! I can see by your clothes that you're world traveling types. Perhaps I can interest you in some exotic curios?" He winked at us. Aang stopped and smiled at him.

"Sure! Uh, what are curios?" Aang asked. The man just blinked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but we got 'em!" He smiled creepily as he pulled Aang into the ship. We all followed them inside and began to look around. Inside was a large assortment of trinkets and random things. Aang stared at some shelves while Sokka went over to look at some wooden pieces of furniture.

Katara and I stared at a little monkey statue that had rubies in its eyes and around its neck. It was creepily showing off all its teeth. I picked it up examining it before clenching my teeth together, pulling my lips back as far as I could, and crossing my eyes to mimic the statue. I looked over at Katara who laughed at my face.

"I've never seen such a fine specimen of lemur. That beast would fetch me a hefty sum if you'd be interested in bartering." We all looked over as a man walked out of a dark doorway. He had on a large black hat and had some red and black robes on. The large bird on his shoulder squawked at us, and Momo hissed back.

"Momo's not for sale." Aang said as he hugged the lemur to his body. I walked over to a small corner of the ship as I heard Sokka shout as he realized that the men were pirates. I had already guessed that.

I looked under some rugs and stared at the dusty box underneath. It seemed like some sort of casing with a handle. It was about half the length of Aang's staff. Picking it up, I blew off the dust. It was a leather box with gold lining its opening. It had a long strap connected to the ends of it so that you could carry it on your back. On the front of the box, right under the handle there was only a small, circular indentation. I tried opening it, but nothing worked. There were a couple latches holding the case closed that surrounded the little circle in the front. I stared at it in confusion. _How do you open this darn thing?_

I walked up to the front carrying the case in my hands. Aang was holding up some copper pieces in front of the captain who had a face on that was similar to the monkey's.

"It's not as amusing the second time boy." He growled out. I didn't even want to know what _this_ was about. I walked up and placed the case in front of the man.

"What's this? I can't open it." I questioned as I looked to the captain. He snorted in disgust as he stared at the box.

" _That_ is a useless piece of junk! Found the thing during a raid down South. No one has been able to open it. To make things worse I can't even sell it because nobody wants a box that won't open. We've tried to pry the thing open but it must've been made by an expert locksmith because the latches won't budge." He explained. I stared at the box. I didn't understand, but something about it seemed to intrigue me. I pulled out a small bag from behind my back. Unknown to the others, I had snagged a little bag of money off of some random guy back at the port. _What? Don't judge. Being sneaky makes me feel accomplished._

I opened the bag and pulled out a small handful of silver pieces.

"Will this be enough to buy it off you?" I offered the money to the pirate. He snorted and snatched the money out of my hand.

"You kidding? I'm glad to get this thing off my hands for any money at all. It's your problem now." He handed me the box which I grabbed happily. Putting the strap over my shoulder I thanked him before a hand grabbed my shoulder. Turning around I realized that Katara had grabbed me. She looked around nervously as she spoke to me and Aang.

"Hey guys, I think that we should leave now. We're getting weird looks." I stared at her in suspicion as she fidgeted. Aang simply waved to the pirate.

"Aye! We be castin' off now!" He smiled. I smacked my head at his attempt at pirate-speak. We all left the ship and began to walk away.

"What was that all about Katara?" Aang questioned.

"Yeah! I was just starting to browse through their boomerang section!" Sokka complained. I sighed. _Only Sokka…_

Katara just continued to walk quickly as she folded her arms.

"I'll just feel a lot better once we're away from here." She explained weakly. I frowned at her. _She sounds suspicious._ Suddenly a shout sounded from behind us, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Hey you! Come back here!" It was that girly looking guy again. Aang turned around with a smile.

"Well, look who's come to their senses." Aang said as he looked back at the pirate ship. Pirates began jumping off the ship and stood in front of us. They smirked at us as they held up their weapons. I looked over at Katara who had backed up suspiciously.

"Uh, I don't think that they're here to trade with us!" She yelled as we all started running away. We ran through the port again as the pirates kept chasing us.

"Run!" Sokka shouted as we turned right.

"What do you think we're doing stupid?!" I yelled as Katara froze some water behind us to slip up the pirates.

A cabbage cart appeared in front of us as we were running. Sokka ran around it, Katara squeezed around it, I slid under it, and Aang jumped through it. He turned around and shot the cart of cabbages at the pirates behind us with a grunt.

"No! My cabbages! This place is worse than Omashu!" shouted the vender. _Hmm, I thought he looked familiar_.

"Does that guy have an unlimited amount of cabbages or something?" I asked Aang as he ran beside me. He shrugged, completely without guilt about ruining that guy's business. Again might I add.

Just as we were about to run out of the port, more pirates cut us off. We screamed as we backtracked and took a different route.

"I hope your lemur has nine lives!" shouted the she-man.

"I hope you don't! Then I'd have to see your ugly mug even more!" I shouted over my shoulder. Katara smacked me on the head.

"Ow! He deserved that one!" I complained as we ran down the alleyway. Of course we ran into a dead end. Turning around we were blocked by the pirates. The she-man smirked.

"Who wants to taste the steel of my blade first?" He asked. Aang glared at him.

"No thanks!" Slamming his staff on the ground he shot a wave of air at the pirates knocking them over. Immediately he began to run forward.

"Guys grab on!" He shouted as he opened up his glider. We ran to catch up.

"Aang! I thought we were running away from the pirates!" Katara yelled as we grabbed onto his glider.

"Just hang on!" We screamed as Aang lifted us off the ground and over the pirates. I made sure to kick the she-man in the head as we passed by. We began flying over the shop's roofs, but I realized that Aang's glider couldn't hold us all as we began to descend.

"Aang! You can't hold us all! I can bend myself over the walls, so I'll meet you guys back at camp!" I shouted.

"Wait Kai-!" I ignored Katara's shout as I released my grip. I had gotten a good view from the air of where to go. I grunted as I landed on the roof of one of the shops. Immediately I began running on the roofs, and jumping over gaps.

Glancing behind me I saw the pirates begin to climb up too. I quickly pulled out Hakoda's knife from my boot that I kept since the South Pole. I jumped off the roof of a stall, and quickly slashed the bamboo poles that supported it. When the pirates ran onto the shop I laughed as it collapsed under them causing a mess. Running by fruit stands I broke random boards holding fruit making them fall into the road behind me. The pirates slipped and fell over each other with loud shouts.

I turned around a sharp corner and continued to run away. I made sure to take a bunch of different turns to keep them off my back. As I came up to a wall at the end of an alleyway, I glanced behind me to make sure no one was there. Seeing that I was alone I quickly blasted fire from my feet and shot myself over the wall. I cleared the top and landed on the ground outside with a grunt. Not stopping I continued to run back up the river and to our campsite, laughing as I heard the curses of pirates back in the port.

* * *

"You guys should've seen the faces of those pirates! They were so mad!" I laughed as I arrived back at the site. Aang was holding up a scroll in front of Katara, and Sokka was sitting on top of a rock.

"Kai! You're back!" Aang shouted as he ran up and hugged me happily. Katara and Sokka joined in, though Katara hit my head again and continued to scold me about my 'stupid, bull-headed, reckless' personality.

"Gee Katara, thanks. I feel so loved." I rolled my eyes. She glared at me in response.

"You're lucky that you weren't hurt, or worse!" She continued. Sokka decided to cut in.

"And whose fault would that be?" He asked smugly. She looked away from him with a huff and crossed her arms. I looked between the two of them in confusion.

"What? Whose fault is it?" I asked. Sokka glared at Katara as he explained to me about how she had stolen the scroll that Aang was currently holding. I didn't really see a big problem.

"Oh, well that's cool." I shrugged. Katara smirked victoriously as Sokka spluttered.

"But she put all our lives in danger just for a stupid scroll!" He complained. I just shrugged again.

"Well, nobody was hurt and since it is gonna be awhile until we reach the North Pole they might as well start learning now. Besides, I can't really talk since I pickpocketed someone." I said as I sat down and took the leather box off of my back. They all gaped at me.

"You what?!" Sokka exclaimed. I took the small bag from my pocket and tossed it at him. He looked at the silver pieces inside and was immediately appeased.

"Well, as long as nobody tries to kill us because of your pickpocketing, I'm actually okay with this." He stated as he pocketed the money. Katara looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Where did you even learn how to do that?" She asked. I smirked.

"What did you think happened to that food that always mysteriously disappeared from Gran Gran's stash, or what happened to those fish hooks every time you went fishing? I used those to set up some pranks." I explained. Aang looked up at me in admiration.

"You'll have to teach me how to do that." He smiled excitedly. I laughed and agreed. Sokka sighed.

"As long as you don't steal from poor people, and as long as you don't make a big habit of it, then I guess it's okay. We probably will need to get money later on." He admitted. I smiled. _It's weird how this is normal to us._

We settled in again and Sokka and I watched Katara try to do the water whip. She began to move through the stances, but only managed to whip herself on the forehead. She let out a groan of frustration as Sokka began laughing.

"What's so funny?" Katara asked as she glared at Sokka. He just smiled.

"I'm sorry, but you deserved that. You've been duped. She's only interested in teaching herself." Sokka said to Aang. I discreetly nodded in agreement behind Katara's back. Katara can be rather petty at times.

"Aang will have his turn after I figure out the water whip." She insisted. Sokka and I shared a look behind her back as she began to move through the stances again. This time she somehow managed to whip Momo from the opposite direction. She seemed to be good at water bending backwards.

"Ugh! Why can't I get this stupid move?!" Katara complained. Aang set down the scroll and began to walk over to the water.

"You'll get it." He reassured her. But, I winced when I saw the look on Katara's face. Oblivious to the evil look, Aang got into his stance and began to bend.

"You've just gotta shift your way through the stances." He explained as he smoothly whipped the water. I clapped softly once he finished. He smiled and looked back over at Katara.

"There, see? The key to bending is-." Katara angrily cut him off.

"Will you please shut your air hole! Believe it or not your infinite wisdom gets a little old sometimes! Why don't we just throw the scroll away since you're so naturally gifted?!" She yelled in his face. I glared at her.

"Katara! Stop!" I yelled, seeing the heartbroken look on Aang's face. Sokka frowned at her. She just glared at us.

"What?!" She questioned before looking at Aang. He looked like he was about to cry. Her face immediately softened.

"Oh my gosh, Aang. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." Katara apologized. She looked over at the scroll.

"But, you know what it won't happen again. Here, it's yours. I don't want anything to do with it anymore." She said as she handed the scroll to Aang. Aang smiled.

"It's okay Katara." He said. Sokka decided to butt in.

"What about Momo? He's the real victim here." He said, pointing at the lemur that was currently rubbing his butt. Katara walked over and pet his head.

"I'm sorry Momo." She apologized. Sokka took it a step further and pointed at himself.

"And what about me? There was that time where you-."

"No more apologies!" Katara cut him off. I laughed behind my hand as she scared Momo off.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night, hearing something rustle to my right. Opening my eyes, I saw Katara taking the scroll from Sokka's bag. As she began to walk away I sat up, startling her.

"Kai! I- uh, this isn't what it looks like!" She whisper/yelled at me. I just stared at her for a little before shrugging.

"It's okay Katara, I won't tell anyone. But, I think you really need to think about what's important, and what's not. Be careful." I said as I lay back down. It was silent for a little before I heard Katara continue to walk away. I sighed as I stared up at the stars. Suddenly I remembered that box I got from the pirates.

Sitting up I walked over to it next to the fire. I examined the opening again. _There must be some sort of key to open this._ I thought as I kept on looking at the box. I rubbed my hands all over it to feel for something that might help. I flipped it over and ran my hand over the back. Once my hand touched the center of the case I felt something weird. I stared in confusion as I touched the fabric in the center. It felt like it was flaky, while the rest feels like smooth leather.

Taking out my knife I scratched at the fabric using the knife's tip. Immediately little papery pieces began to flake off of the center revealing some sort of gold plate. I continued scratching it off until I had gotten it all off. Blowing away the scratched off pieces I stared at the very familiar symbol etched on the circular gold plate in the center. The White Lotus.

"No way…" I mumbled as I pulled out my necklace. I flipped it over and stared at the symbol. They were exactly the same. Also my necklace seemed to be the same shape as the key hole. I flipped the case over to the opening and stared at the small, circular indentation.

"No chance in a million years will this work…no way, not happening." I mumbled as I took off my necklace. I stared at it. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Just to prove that I'm right._

I took the small pendant and stuck it in the hole. It was a perfect fit. _Okay…but this doesn't mean anything._ I gave the pendant a small push, and the latches immediately unlocked and the case popped open. _Okay…that does._

I gaped at the case. There was no way that should've worked, but it did. Peeking inside I gasped at the beautiful sword that lay inside **(2)**. The silver blade gleamed in the firelight. The blade was slightly curved and was single edged. The hilt was made of a dark wood, and had gold covering the bottom and the guard. A ridge ran through the sword's back edge. Lying next to the sword in the case was a wooden scabbard. It had a strap connecting its ends and had golden designs covering it.

I carefully reached in and picked up the sword. Standing up I held it out and swung it a few times. It seemed to weigh perfectly in my hands. _But, why did my necklace open the case? It couldn't have been just a coincidence._ I thought as I scratched my head in confusion.

Suddenly I noticed a letter attached to the scabbard. Kneeling, I picked it up. I gasped because on the front of the letter it said, _To My Sweet Daughter._ This was getting weird. I ripped the letter open and began reading.

 _My Dearest Xiaolian_ _ **(1)**_ _,_

 _Happy birthday! I wrote this letter a week after you were born, and have kept it in this case with your sword to give you on your 12_ _th_ _birthday, or whenever your mom finally lets you have it. Your mother always gets on me for how I made a sword for you right after you were born. But, just looking at it I know that it is perfect for you. I've probably told you this a million times, but I will say it again. The day you were born was the happiest day of my life. I looked at your face in your mother's arms and saw perfection. You have my eyes. I always loved how I looked at you and immediately saw a part of me. You're probably a great fire bender by now too. Your mother is a great fire bender, and she can sense the fire within you. I prefer swords honestly, but I'm probably biased. We will do our best to be good parents to you, but I apologize for the mistakes that we've undoubtedly made. I hope you're using your fire bending and skills to help others and show people the light. No matter what anyone else says, remember that fire is life. I love you, and I know that you will grow up to be a great woman._

 _P.S. Just in case you don't recognize this type of sword, it's a pian dao. I hope that you find your sword as funny as I do. I thought I would make it to remind you of your old man._

 _All My Love,  
Dad_

Drops of water suddenly fell onto the page, smudging the words. Reaching up to my face I realized that I was crying. I quickly tried wiping my face, but the tears kept falling. I held my hand up to my mouth as a sob almost escaped. I couldn't believe it. This was a letter from my dad! My _birth_ father that I never knew. It had to be. My necklace had the same symbol, and it fit perfectly into the keyhole. The pirate also found this in the South, so maybe it was on the same ship as me. I couldn't believe that I had found something from my father! Even better is the fact that he actually _loved_ me. He and my mother actually loved me. I loved Kaya and Hakoda, but I always wanted to know who my birth parents were. He made me this sword, but I don't get it. What's funny about this sword? Besides the fact that he made it, why would it remind me of him? _I wonder who he was. I wonder what my parents were like._

I carefully folded up the letter and stuck it in my pocket. I grabbed the scabbard out of the box and put the sword away. I didn't really need the box anymore, but I decided to keep it. Walking over to Appa I climbed into his saddle and put down the box. I pet Appa on the head before climbing down and walking back to my sleeping bag. I stuck my sword next to me in the sleeping bag and kept my arm around it as I fell back asleep.

* * *

"I don't believe it!" I was rudely awakened by a shout from Sokka. I sleepily sat up and rubbed my eyes as I looked over at him.

"What's wrong?" Aang asked. He too had been woken up. Sokka showed us his empty bag. _Oh, he's talking about Katara._

"She took the scroll! She's obsessed with that thing. It's just a matter of time before she gets us all in deep-ah!" He was cut off as suddenly a rope tied around his hands and pulled him forward. Aang and I were immediately alert. Sokka was pulled to the ground and we gasped as we saw that a pirate had attacked him. Turning around I saw the pirate behind Aang.

"Aang, look out!" I shouted. He turned around just as the pirate shot a net at him. He tried to air bend it away, but it kept going. It captured him and he landed next to another pirate who carried him away. I ran after him.

"Hey!" I shouted. The pirate looked up at me just as I jumped at him, my hand cocked back. My fist collided with his face with a * _Crack_ *. He yelped as he rolled on the floor cradling his bloody nose. I snorted as I turned around to help out Aang, but suddenly I was tackled from the side.

"Oomf!" I landed hard on the floor, a heavy body pinning me down. Somebody quickly tied me up before carrying me off just like Aang.

"What so I'm not good enough to kidnap?" I heard Sokka complain. I rolled my eyes as I saw a pirate go back for him. _You asked for it doofus._

* * *

The pirates had taken us back to the river. I wasn't really paying too much attention because I was currently trying to do everything I could to annoy my captors. That included verbal abuse.

"You do know that you're wearing lipstick right? Are you a girl? Can I braid your hair? Hey that's a cool bird. Can I pet him? Will he bite my hand? Are you a grandpa? Cause you look old. The grey hair isn't helping. Ooooo! Nice weapon! Can I have it? Whoa! You know I didn't exactly want it that close to my face, but okay!" I was on a verbal roll. I'm pretty sure that they preferred it when I was kicking them. I decided to stop talking though when the she-man next to me put a knife by my face. I could fire bend out of here at any time, but there's no way that I would be able to take them all. So I was waiting for an opportunity.

"Nice work." I looked up in shock as I saw us standing in front of Zuko. Apparently he had the pirates capture us. I noticed Katara also tied up. When I saw him examine us I gave him a two-handed wave.

"Hey Flambo! Nice day, isn't it? Oh, hi Uncle Iroh!" I greeted them. Zuko fumed at his nickname while Iroh merely chuckled and waved at me.

"Pleasure to see you again Miss Kai." Iroh smiled at me. I smiled back before pouting at Zuko.

"You still don't have good manners. Can't you just say hi to us like a normal person instead of always kidnapping us?" I asked. He glared at me even more.

"Shut up peasant. Don't talk to me." He growled. I mentally smirked. _He's so easy to rile up_.

"Aw, I thought we were closer than that." I smiled innocently. Everyone else was looking at us like we were crazy.

"Uh, Kai? Why are you trying to make nice with the enemy?" Sokka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's fun to mess with." I shrugged. Sokka and Aang just stared at me, unimpressed. Zuko then decided to ignore my presence and examined Aang. Katara looked over.

"Oh Aang, I'm sorry. This is all my fault." She apologized. Aang looked over at her.

"No Katara, it isn't." He reassured. But, Iroh decided to butt in.

"Yeah, it kind of is." He nodded. I snorted. _I like Iroh._ Zuko ignored them and glared at the pirates.

"Give me the boy." He commanded.

"Give us the scroll." The captain countered. Sokka and I shared a look before turning to the captain.

"You're really gonna hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment." Sokka asked. Zuko immediately caught on.

"Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other!" He shouted. Either way I felt like the pirates would listen to Sokka. The captain turned to Aang.

"Your friend is the Avatar?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"No, he just has air bending tattoos and clothes just for kicks and giggles. It's not like he air bended earlier when your men were taking us. And it's not like the Fire Lord actually wants him captured for any real reason. He's just a huge pedophile with a very specific fetish. So specific that he doesn't want his son to return home until he captures this very specific boy. _Yes he's the Avatar you idiots!_ " I shouted at the stupid pirates. Everyone stared at me while Iroh was cracking up about me calling his brother a pedophile. Katara glared at me.

"We are going to have a talk about where you learned about pedophiles later missy." She said.

"Sokka told me." I immediately threw my brother under the bus. He looked at me betrayed.

"Kai! I thought we agreed that you wouldn't tell Katara!" He complained. I shrugged. _Better you than me_. This seemed to shake the pirates out of their stupor.

"Keep the scroll. If the girl's right, we can buy a hundred with the reward we'll get for the kid." The captain said as he turned around. Zuko glared at his back.

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me." Immediately he and his men shot fire at the pirates. As the she-man ran at the fire benders I decided now was a good time to burn through the ropes. I quickly lit my hand on fire and ripped them apart. I grabbed Sokka and Aang and quickly pulled them to me as the pirates threw down smoke bombs around us. I grabbed their bonds and burned through them too. Immediately we all held hands. Aang began dragging us forward.

"C'mon guys! We gotta get out of here!" He shouted as we repeatedly dodged the fire and blades that came our way. I yelped when a spear got particularly close to my face. We finally made it out and Aang immediately ran as fast as he could.

"Run!" He shouted. Sokka and I quickly followed. We ran up to Katara who was pushing on a boat.

"Katara you're okay!" Aang shouted happily. She looked over at us.

"Help me push this ship into the water!" She yelled. We ran over and all began to push, but it didn't budge an inch. We all stepped back.

"We need a team of rhinos to move this thing." Sokka complained. Aang looked over at Katara.

"A team of rhinos, or two water benders." He smiled. She smiled back before they got in position in front of the boat. Pulling their arms forward and back, the waves followed their motions and the water got higher. The boat lifted off the ground. I pumped my fist in the air.

"It worked!" I shouted as we ran to the ladder and climbed our way up. Sokka took the steering wheel as Aang and I ran to the back of the ship.

"Uh oh, pirates at 6 o'clock!" I shouted, pointing at the fire nation ship full of pirates behind us.

"Sokka, can't you make this thing go any faster?!" Aang yelled. Sokka just looked down at the wheel confused.

"I don't know how! This thing wasn't made by the water tribe!" He replied. Looking to our left I gasped as I saw the pirates start boarding the ship. Aang quickly bent a large wave over the boat and swept most of them off. One of them remained, and Katara looked like she was panicking. But, she set her face in determination and she quickly bent a water whip at the pirate, knocking him off board as well.

"Katara you did the water whip!" Aang shouted happily. Katara looked up at him with a smile.

"I couldn't have done it without your help!" She insisted.

"Can you guys stop congratulating each other already and help me out!" Sokka yelled from his position between two pirates. One of them was the she-man. They threw him into the mast and he fell to the floor. I quickly jumped down. I kicked the she-man forward, knocking him onto the floor, before shooting a blast of fire at the other pirate, sending him over the railing. Aang jumped over to Sokka and helped him up. I heard Katara gasp in horror.

"Aang, look!" She yelled, pointing at the giant waterfall in front of us. He gasped.

"Oh no!" He yelled. I glared as I saw the she-man appear again. Aang turned around. The pirate took out his knife, while Aang pulled out his whistle. I jumped down to the deck and kicked a blast of fire at the pirate, making him fall over board as Aang blew the whistle. Sokka walked up to him.

"What are you doing?! This is no time for flute practice!" Sokka yelled.

"Actually Sokka, it's a whistle." I corrected. He glared at me as Katara and Aang began to water bend to slow us down.

"It's working! It's slowing down!" Katara yelled. Sokka and I looked behind us.

"Uh, we have another problem." He said, pointing at the incoming fire nation ship. We all screamed as it hit the side of our ship, making it turn on its side.

"Jump!" Aang yelled as we all held hands. We all jumped forward and screamed as we started falling. Suddenly Appa appeared under us and caught us. I nearly cried in relief as we flew in the air. We all sighed as we collapsed onto the saddle. Aang pet Appa.

"I knew a bison whistle would come in handy. Thanks Appa." He said.

"Yeah, we owe you one." Sokka nodded. I climbed onto Appa's head.

"I'll give you a nice big watermelon when we hit the next shop, alright buddy?" I smiled down at him. He grunted happily. I leaned my head on the saddle as Katara began to talk.

"Aang, I still owe you an apology. You were just so good at water bending without really trying. I got so competitive that I put us all in danger. I'm sorry." She apologized. Aang just smiled at her.

"It's okay Katara." He replied. Katara looked down.

"Besides, who needs that stupid scroll anyways?" She sighed. Sokka smirked as he pulled the scroll from his shirt.

"Is that really how you feel?" Sokka asked as he waved the scroll out. Katara immediately smiled.

"The scroll!" She exclaimed happily as she reached for it. Sokka quickly pulled it back.

"Wait, first what did you learn?" He asked. Katara looked down.

"Stealing is wrong." She answered, and quickly swiped the scroll from Sokka as soon as he offered it.

"Unless it's from pirates." She reiterated. Aang laughed.

"Good one Katara." He smiled.

* * *

We flew back to the campsite and grabbed all our stuff. When I pulled out the sword from my sleeping bag Sokka immediately noticed.

"Whoa! Where'd you get that Kai?" He questioned. That made Katara and Aang notice as well. I forgot that I hadn't told them yet. So I explained the case from the pirates, the letter from my dad, and the sword. They all stared at me once I finished.

"So let me get this straight. You somehow found this box on the pirate ship, your necklace happened to be the key, and it happened to be from your birth dad?" Sokka asked. I nodded.

"Yup, oh and apparently my real name is Xiaolian. But, I'm gonna stick with Kai." I said. He just sighed.

"I'm just gonna pretend that nothing happened." He said as he walked away.

"Small world." Aang said. Katara just shook her head and rubbed her temples.

"Well it's like finding a bison whistle in some random port the exact same day that we happen to really need it." I shrugged. They thought about it before nodding in agreement. We all got back onto Appa and flew up into the air. We flew peacefully for a few minutes before Katara remembered something. She turned to Sokka with a glare.

"So, want to explain why our little sister knows what a pedophile is?" She asked as she folded her arms.

Sokka promptly passed out.

* * *

 **(1): Xiaolian means "Little Lotus" in Chinese culture. I'm betting that you guys definitely know who her dad is now.**

 **(2): If you want to see the image for the sword, search piandao sword images. It should be the 2nd one**

 **That's a wrap on chapter 8! Again I just want to apologize for taking so long! The next chapter will definitely be up faster! Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**

 **P.S: Does anybody know what sound Appa makes? I don't know what to call it! Is it a roar? Grunt? Groan? Some other weird noise? I really don't know.**


	9. Chapter 9: Jet

**Chapter 9: Jet**

 **Hey guys! Here's the 9** **th** **chapter of the series! Hope you enjoy! –Cleo0421  
**

* * *

"Hey, where's Momo?" Aang asked as we began to pack up. We had stopped to camp last night in the forest before continuing up to the North Pole. Looking around, I realized that our little lemur was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly loud screeching sounds echoed through the forest. I jumped off of Appa and began running towards the source.

"Guys this way!" I shouted behind me as I ran. I found a small clearing in the trees as the screeching grew closer. Looking up, I saw three cages hanging from the trees. One had Momo trapped, while the other two had monkeys inside. Aang and my siblings caught up and saw the cages also.

"Hang on buddy!" Aang air bended himself into the trees and lowered Momo down by pulling the ropes. Once Momo was on the ground Sokka and Katara pulled open his cage. He immediately jumped out and began munching on a lychee berry. Sokka smacked his head as I giggled.

"I guess Momo was hungry." I shrugged. Aang landed back on the ground, but we all looked up at the pouting hog-monkeys. I frowned at the cages. _Poor animals, they've probably been up there for a while._ Aang looked at the poor creatures before bending down and jumping back into the trees.

"Alright, I'll get you down too." But, Sokka sighed in irritation and pulled out his boomerang.

"This is going to take forever." He quickly threw the boomerang, cutting the ropes holding the cages and making them fall to the ground. Once they were on the floor my siblings and I released the hog-monkeys. I waved to them as they ran off.

Sokka knelt by the metal cages and inspected them.

"These are fire nation traps. You can tell by the metalwork. We better pack up camp and get moving."

* * *

"Uh-uh, no flying this time!" Sokka said as we began to load up Appa. We looked at him in confusion as he grabbed a pack from Katara.

"What why wouldn't we fly?" Aang asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, do you expect us to walk all the way to the North Pole? We can't walk on water. Well, actually Katara and Aang might be able to. That'd be really cool." I trailed off as I thought about it. Sokka ignored me.

"Think about it. Somehow Prince Zuko and the fire nation always find us. It's because of Appa, he's too noticeable." He explained as he pointed at Appa. Katara put her hands on her hips.

"What? Appa's not too noticeable!"

"He's a gigantic fluffy monster with an arrow on his head! It's kinda hard to miss him." Sokka insisted. Appa grunted as Aang patted his head.

"Sokka's just jealous cause he doesn't have an arrow." He smiled. I held my chin in thought.

"Well, I probably would've thought he was a cloud or something." I mused. Sokka smacked his face again.

"But, unlike you Kai, some people in the world are more intelligent than that." He stated. I stared at him for a minute; until I processed that it was an insult.

"…Wait, hey! I'm not-!"

"Anyways," he cut me off, "I know you all want to fly, but my instincts tell me that we should play it safe this time and walk." Sokka insisted. Katara looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Who made you the boss?" She questioned. Sokka glared at her.

"I'm not the boss, I'm the leader." He pointed his thumb at his chest. I actually fell down laughing at that. _Sokka, leader?! That's hilarious!_ I kept on cracking up on the ground as Sokka glared at me.

"You're the leader? But your voice still cracks!" Katara snorted. Sokka turned towards her and ignored my laughing fit.

"I'm the oldest, and I'm a warrior!" He yelled in a high voice. Noticing this, Sokka tried to lower his voice.

"So, I'm the leader!" He proclaimed. I finally calmed down and sat up, wiping tears from my eyes as Katara protested.

"If anyone's the leader it should be Aang. He is the Avatar after all." She said. I looked up at them.

"He's technically older than you too. Plus, if you two were to fight I'd bet all my money on Aang." I added. Sokka glared at me.

"Yeah?! Well no one asked your opinion! He's just a goofy kid!" He insisted, pointing at Aang who was currently hanging upside down on Appa. He smiled at us.

"He's right." I giggled and ran over to Appa, climbing onto his horn. I hung upside down and Aang and I laughed as we made funny faces at each other. Katara giggled a little before turning back to Sokka.

"Why do boys always think that someone has to be the leader? I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl." Katara stated smugly. Sokka blushed.

"I've kissed a girl! You just haven't met her." He denied as he looked away. Katara folded her arms.

"Who, Gran Gran? I've met Gran Gran." She smirked. Sokka glared at her.

"Besides Gran Gran!" He insisted. I smirked from Appa's horn.

"On the cheek doesn't count Sokka! Plus, she kissed _you_ on the cheek!" I yelled over. Sokka spluttered as he turned on me.

"S-shut up Kai!" He yelled as I stuck my tongue out at him. We all laughed at him. He huffed before turning away.

"We're getting off topic! Look, my instincts tell me that we have a better chance of slipping through on foot, and a leader has to trust his instinct." Sokka said, changing the topic. I decided to have mercy on him and not change it back.

"Whatever, I get to say I told you so when we all get tired of walking." I got off of Appa and hefted my bag over one shoulder and my sword over the other. Aang grabbed his bag also.

"Who knows, walking might be fun!" Aang smiled.

* * *

"Walking stinks! How do people get anywhere without a flying bison?" Aang complained. We had been walking for at least an hour, and it was _boring_. I punched Sokka on the arm.

"I told you so." He just grumbled and rubbed his injured arm as Katara and Aang began complaining.

"Well I don't know Aang, why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything." Katara commented sarcastically.

"Ha-ha very funny." Sokka sighed. Aang groaned as he slouched his shoulders.

"I'm tired of carrying this pack."

"You know who you should ask to carry it for a while? Sokka's instincts!" Katara suggested. I snorted.

"Yeah right. Sokka's instincts are so weak that they couldn't carry Momo." I smirked. Aang laughed.

"That's true, but we could at least let it try! Hey, Sokka's instincts could you-?"

"Okay, okay! Look guys, I'm tired too. But, the important thing is that we're safe from…the…fire nation." He trailed off as we walked through some bushes, and popped right into a fire nation camp. I crossed my arms.

"Of course this happened. Nice going Sokka." I rolled my eyes. Sokka merely dropped his bag.

"Run!" He shouted turning around. We all followed his example and made a break for it. The soldiers broke out of their stupor and shot a fire ball at us. I raised my hands up in front of me, palms facing outwards.

"Everyone, duck!" I shouted as the fire approached us. Quickly punching my fist out, the flames dispersed around us leaving us unharmed. Turning around to leave, we saw that more soldiers had run behind us to block our exit. We stood back to back with our arms raised to defend ourselves, except Sokka who had his club.

"Let us go, and we promise we won't hurt you!" Sokka yelled to the soldiers. We all looked at him like he was crazy.

"What are you doing?" Katara whispered over her shoulder.

"Bluffing?" Sokka shrugged. I smacked my forehead.

"That's reassuring…" I mumbled out. The soldiers seemed to find it as funny as me. One of the soldiers who had an eyepatch walked to the front.

"You? Promise not to hurt us?" He smirked. Suddenly his face slackened as he fell to the floor unconscious. Aang smiled up at Sokka.

"Wow, nice job Sokka. How'd you do that?" he asked. Sokka looked confused.

"Uh, instinct?" He shrugged. Katara suddenly pointed up in the trees.

"Look!" We all looked up and saw a teenage boy with hooked swords. He jumped down, landing on top of two men and knocking them out instantly. He dashed forward and hooked his swords around the ankles of two more men before flipping forward and tossing the men over his head. They landed in front of us in a heap.

"Down you go." He smirked, and I noticed that he had a piece of straw in his mouth. Suddenly a soldier went to attack him from behind, but the boy merely spun around and pulled the soldier onto the ground by hooking his wrist. The soldiers all looked up as more people appeared.

"They're in the trees!" one shouted, just as a little boy jumped down and landed on the man's shoulders. He spun around the soldier's helmet so he couldn't see and laughed as he rode him around like an animal. I saw more join the fight, but I was quickly drawn into the battle myself as two soldiers surrounded me. I put my hands up in front of me as I watched them warily.

I quickly kicked away the fire blast sent my way before ducking down and sweeping my leg out, sending a wave of fire at one soldier. Turning around I dashed towards the other soldier, leaning to the side as he stabbed his spear at where my head had just been. I jerked my knee up into his gut, and as he doubled forward I shot out my hand towards his face. I grabbed his face and pushed as hard as I could, pinning the man's face to the ground and knocking him out.

I saw a couple more men run towards me from both sides. I decided to try out a new trick and quickly pulled out my sword. I spun in a circle, sending my fire out of my hands and around the sword as if it were a part of me. A wave of fire shot from my sword towards the soldiers. It knocked them off their feet and onto the floor with groans.

I smirked at my sword. I didn't know that it would work, but I figured that if Aang could enhance his air bending with his staff then I could do the same with my sword. Looking around I realized that the last soldier was fighting sword boy.

The soldier went to stab him with a spear, but the boy quickly turned to the side and the spear went through the small gap behind the boy's hand in the hilt. Turning around the soldier went to stab him again, but this time the boy caught the spear between his swords and pushed the spear to the floor. He ran up the spear and kicked the soldier in the head, knocking him out. I whistled. _Nice moves! I wanna do that!_

After kicking off the soldiers face the boy ran up to Katara.

"Hey." He smiled. Katara blushed.

"H-hi." She looked up with a smile. I snorted. _Someone's got a crush!_ I was so going to tease her later. Looking around we saw that the entire camp had been taken out. I stared slightly at the odd group of people that had saved us. One of them was a huge giant that had nothing but a log as a weapon. I walked over to the others just as Aang did.

"You just took out a whole army almost single-handed!" Aang said in awe. I was about to comment, but suddenly I was tackled from the side.

"Ow! What the heck?!" I turned my face slightly and saw a young…girl? Boy? I had no idea, but they had short brown hair with a bandana, red markings on their face, and they were currently holding a knife to my face.

"Jet! This one's a fire bender too!" By the sound of their voice I'm guessing that she was a girl. The guy with hooked swords, who was apparently called Jet, looked over at us and glared down at me. Seeing the situation, Katara swiftly water bended the girl off of me.

"That's my sister! She's a fire bender, but she was raised with us in the South Pole!" Katara explained as she and the others ran over to me and began to look me over for injuries. I gave them a thumbs-up before getting to my feet. Jet stared me down for a second before he smiled.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know. We all kind of have a thing against fire benders, so I guess we just assumed." He apologized and turned to the girl that attacked me.

"Smellerbee, apologize. After all, she did take out a few fire benders out there." He pointed over at me. The girl looked at me warily before giving a slight bow.

"Sorry, I just saw that you fire bended and I just reacted." She held out her hand to me.

"Let's start over. My name's Smellerbee." I grabbed her hand and shook it.

"It's fine. You wouldn't believe how many times that I've been attacked like that. My name's Kai. Nice to meet you." I smiled. She nodded before going over to her friends. Katara and Aang seemed appeased, but Sokka still glared at the strangers warily. Jet turned back to the rest of us.

"Again, sorry about that. Anyways, my name's Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters." He pointed over to the people behind him.

"Sneers," he pointed at a chubby boy that was currently stuffing his face in a bowl. I noticed that he had very thick eyebrows.

"Longshot," next was a young, skinny boy who wore a straw hat. He held a bow in his hands and had bandages covering his arms.

"You met Smellerbee," He pointed back at the young girl again. She currently had out a lot of swords, making me step slightly away from her direction nervously.

"The Duke and Pipsqueak." He pointed at the last two people. One was the huge giant with a log on his back. He had a red bandana on his forehead, and wore metal gauntlets on his forearms. The small boy next to him was the one that rode around on a soldiers head. He wore a rounded helmet that had a cloth hanging in the back, and he held a staff. He was about half my size.

Aang walked up to the pair with a smile.

"Ha-ha! Pipsqueak, that's a funny name!" He laughed as he looked to the small boy. Suddenly the giant guy bent down with a frown.

"You think my name's funny?" He glared at Aang. _Wow, there goes that stereotype._ Aang stared up at the man for a second.

"It's hilarious!" He smiled. I winced for a second, thinking that the world was about to have one less Avatar. Suddenly Pipsqueak burst out laughing. Aang joined him, and soon the Duke did too. All of them were laughing until Pipsqueak hit Aang on the back, making him face plant. But, they still continued laughing anyways.

I looked around at all the Freedom Fighters. _They all have weird names…  
_

* * *

The Freedom Fighters began looting the camp for supplies. None of them really seemed to like me, I'm guessing because of the whole fire bending thing. Pipsqueak, The Duke, and Longshot seemed to be the only ones who didn't mind me. Well, I don't know if Longshot counts because he doesn't really talk anyways.

I looked over at my sister and noticed that she was over talking to Jet. I smirked. _She's crushing_ hard _on Jet. I don't really see what's so great about him, but eh. That's teenage girls for you._

"Hey Jet! These barrels are filled with blasting jelly!" The Duke yelled as he examined a barrel filled with goo. Jet looked over.

"That's a great score." Then Pipsqueak walked over with an armful of boxes.

"And these boxes are filled with jelly candy!" he yelled. I quickly opened one and grabbed out a handful, giving some to The Duke also.

"Also good. Let's not get those two mixed up." Jet smiled. Pipsqueak carried the boxes and barrels over to a cart as me and The Duke munched on the candy.

"Hey, Duke?" I turned to the smaller boy.

"I told you, it's _The_ Duke. But, what?" He crossed his arms.

"Why is your name Duke?"

" _The_ Duke. And, that's just what I want to be called now! I can change my name if I wanna!"

"Hm, okay Duke."

"…I swear you're doing that on purpose."

"Whatever gave you that idea, Duke?" I immediately put my hands up to catch the boy who leaped at me to attack. I laughed as I held him away from me by the back of his shirt. Suddenly Jet called out.

"Let's take this stuff back to the hide out." Aang looked up at that.

"You guys have a hideout?" He asked excitedly. Jet nodded.

"Yeah, you guys wanna see it?" He smiled. Katara immediately nodded with a large smile on her face.

"Yes we wanna see it!" The Duke and I looked at each other and simultaneously rolled our eyes. _Girls…_

* * *

"We're here." Jet announced as we stopped in the middle of the forest. Sokka glared at our surroundings.

"Where? There's nothing here." He crossed his arms. I walked up and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Sokka, you have to use _imagination_." I swept my arms out in a rainbow. Sokka just smacked his forehead. Jet smiled before handing a rope with a loop to my brother.

"Nice guess, but not quite. Here, hold this." Sokka looked at the rope, examining it.

"Why? What's this do-AH!" He was cut off as the rope suddenly tightened around his wrist and pulled him into the treetops. Jet grabbed another rope and held it out for Aang.

"Aang, you next." Aang merely smiled.

"Thanks, but I'll find my own way up." He jumped off the ground and air bended himself into the trees. I snorted.

"Showoff…" I looked back at Jet and saw him holding out a rope to me. I shrugged and grabbed onto the loop, getting pulled up into the trees a second later. I whistled as I saw the hide out.

"Sweet place!" I told The Duke who went up after me. He smiled.

"C'mon Kai! There's a zip line too!" He shouted excitedly as he pulled me along. I laughed as we began playing around with Aang. _This place is pretty cool._

* * *

That night we all gathered to eat. It was a huge feast that looked like a celebration. Jet stood up to speak as the leader and everyone quieted.

"Tonight, we struck another blow against the Fire nation swine! I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog-monkey." Everyone cheered as The Duke went up on the table and walked around proudly. As he sat back down Jet continued his speech.

"Now the Fire nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they're right…" He paused as everyone began to boo. "Or maybe, they're _dead wrong._ " He glared as he finished, and everyone cheered as he went to sit back down next to Katara.

"Hey Jet, nice speech." She smiled at him. He leaned back as he turned towards her.

"Thanks, by the way I was really impressed by you, Aang, and Kai. That was some great bending out there. Even though I don't like fire benders, you're okay Kai." He smiled. I smiled back gratefully.

"Thanks Jet, you're not so bad yourself." I was glad that he was giving me a chance. Katara smiled also.

"I really appreciate you not judging my sister. It means a lot to me. In regards to bending Aang is probably the best. He's the Avatar. Kai and I are still trying to find masters to teach us." Katara explained. Jet turned to Aang.

"Avatar, huh? Very nice." He smiled.

"Thanks Jet!" Aang beamed at him. Jet put on a thoughtful look for a second.

"So, I might know a way for you and Aang to help in our struggle." He announced, but suddenly Sokka stood up with a glare.

"Unfortunately we have to leave tonight!" He began to walk away. I rolled my eyes.

"Who died and made you king?" I asked. He just ignored me and continued to walk.

"Sokka, you're kidding me! I needed you on an important mission tomorrow." Jet said, causing Sokka to stop and turn around slowly.

"…What mission?" he asked hesitantly. I made a fishing motion with my hands.

"Hook, line, and sinker!"

* * *

The next day Aang, The Duke, and I were hanging out while we waited for the others to get back from their mission.

"Hey Aang, Kai! Check these out!" The Duke called as he pulled out a handful of small ball, throwing one at our feet. Aang and I jumped as the ball suddenly exploded, making a small popping noise. The Duke smiled.

"I call these babies, poppers! They're great for pranks!" He said as he held up another ball. I jumped up and down.

"Cool! Can we have some?" I pleaded. He nodded before handing Aang and I a small bag full each. Suddenly The Duke looked to the left and saw that the others had gotten back from the mission.

"Hey, the others are back! I'm gonna go say hi to Pipsqueak, see you guys later!" He called over his shoulder as he ran away. Aang and I waved before going to find Sokka. We found him a couple minutes later sulking against a wall.

"Hey Sokka! Look what The Duke gave us!" Aang called out as he pulled out a popper. Smiling evilly, Aang threw one at Momo making him freak out. Momo jumped onto Aang and grabbed his own handful of poppers. He began throwing them at Aang's feet.

"Ow! Ow!" Aang began hopping around as the little balls began exploding at his feet. I laughed before joining in and throwing some more at Aang's feet. He glared at me.

"You're not helping!"

"I'm not trying to!" I smirked in response before having mercy and relenting in throwing the poppers. Katara suddenly appeared from around a corner and walked over to Sokka.

"Hey Sokka, is Jet back yet?" She asked. Sokka looked up at her.

"Yeah, he's back. But, we're leaving." He announced with a glare. Aang and I looked up in shock.

"What?!" We both shouted. Katara pulled her hands out from behind her back, revealing a cloth hat with a flower on top.

"But, I made him this hat." She said sadly. I winced.

"Yeah, maybe it's best that we leave before you give him that…" I mumbled. She just gave me a confused look. Sokka ignored it as he continued.

"Your boyfriend Jet's a thug." He said as he scowled at her. Katara looked at him in shock.

"What? No he's not!" She defended, but Sokka went on.

"He's messed up Katara."

"He's not messed up! Jet just has a different way of living, a really fun way!" Aang cut in. I shrugged.

"Well, he's not bad from what I've seen. But, we did just meet the guy so I can't really say." Sokka looked up at me.

"He beat and robbed a harmless old man!" he yelled. My eyes widened. _Okay…that's pretty messed up._

Katara still glared at Sokka.

"I want to hear Jet's side of the story."

* * *

"Sokka, you told them what happened but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire nation?" Jet asked after we questioned him about what happened.

"No, he conveniently left that part out." Katara turned on Sokka with an accusing glare. He turned to her with a glare of his own.

"Fine, but even if he was Fire nation he was a harmless civilian! And Kai's Fire nation too! Would that be an excuse just to beat and rob her?" Sokka yelled. I winced. _Whoa, that escalated._ Katara rolled her eyes.

"She's not technically Fire nation. She's been in the South Pole ever since she was a baby!" she countered. I raised my hand tentatively.

"Uh, can I stay out of this?" They turned on me with a glare and I shrunk back.

"Okay…just wondering." Jet decided to cut back in and suddenly slammed a dagger into the stump in front of him.

"That man was an assassin Sokka. See? There's a compartment for poison in the knife. He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life." Jet explained.

"I knew there was an explanation." Katara smiled in relief. Sokka glared even harder.

"I didn't see any knife!"

"That's because he was concealing it." Jet insisted.

"See Sokka? I'm sure that you just didn't notice the knife." Katara said. Sokka turned to her in frustration.

"There was no knife! I'm going back to the hut and packing my things!" Sokka announced as he stomped out of the room. I looked between everyone before turning to leave.

"I'll go check on him."

* * *

"Sokka?" I called out as I entered the hut. Sokka was packing up. He turned to me with a glare.

"What? Come to tell me that you're sure I just _missed_ the knife?" He questioned. I sat down on one of the beds before shaking my head.

"You do miss a lot of stuff sometimes, but even if I don't exactly think that Jet's a bad guy I trust you more than I do him. Besides, we probably should be going soon anyways. We do have to get to the North Pole soon." I shrugged. Sokka's face morphed from anger, to shock, and finally to relief.

"At least someone will take my side." He sighed irately. I began to pack my things as well. Suddenly Katara and Aang burst in.

"We can't leave now with the Fire nation about to burn down a forest!" Katara yelled. I put my hands up in a 'T'.

"Hold up, back it up a bit. What's the Fire nation doing?" I asked. Katara and Aang explained how the Fire nation was planning on burning down the forest, and how Jet needed Katara and Aang to fill up the reservoirs to help fight the fires. Sokka just went back to packing.

"Sorry Katara. Jet's very smooth, but we can't trust him." He insisted. Katara folded her arms with a glare.

"You know what I think? You're jealous because he's a better warrior and a better leader." She turned childishly from Sokka. He glared at her.

"Katara I'm not jealous of Jet. It's just that my instincts-."

"Well my instincts tell me that we have to stay a little longer and help Jet." Katara said as she began to walk out.

"No, I think that's just your teenage hormones acting up." I announced from where I lay on the ground. Katara turned to me and stuttered.

"N-no! I d-don't know what you're talking about! C'mon Aang." She called as she stomped out of the hut. Aang turned back to Sokka with a sad frown.

"Sorry Sokka…" He walked out after Katara. I sighed.

"And there goes Aang's hormones also."

* * *

We were all sleeping as night covered the forest. I was leaning against Sokka as I slept. Suddenly I fell to the floor.

"Ow…what was that?" I mumbled as I looked around. I saw Sokka suddenly leave the hut suspiciously. I frowned in confusion. _What's he doing?_

I followed him out and saw that he had dropped out of the trees. Jumping out I grabbed a rope and followed his lead. I landed on a branch above the ground. I looked down and frowned as I saw Jet and some of the Freedom Fighters pull along the cart full of blasting jelly down a path. I saw Sokka following them, and quietly tiptoed behind him making sure that he didn't notice me.

We followed them all the way to a cliff that overlooked a dam that was blocking the reservoir. Jet stopped the others by the cliff.

"Now, listen. You are not to blow the dam until I give the signal. If the reservoir isn't full, then the Fire nation troops could survive." I gaped at them. _They're planning on killing all of them?! I mean, it's not the worst way to die. I heard that it's actually the least painful way to-No! This is bad! Bad Kai!_

I was pulled out of my thoughts as I saw The Duke jump off of the cart.

"But, what about the villagers? Won't they get wiped out too?" He asked. Jet simply pat him on the shoulder.

"Look Duke, that's the price of ridding this place of the Fire nation. Now don't blow the dam until I give the signal, got it?" He asked Longshot who nodded in affirmation. Suddenly I gasped as someone grabbed me by my hair and put a knife to my throat.

"Where do you think you're going fire bender?" Smellerbee asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you're the one holding me at knifepoint, again might I add." She ignored me and dragged me out into the open. Looking to my right I saw Sokka being dragged by Pipsqueak. He looked over at me in shock.

"Kai? What are you doing here?" He asked. I smiled sarcastically.

"I'm here for the fun of it. Can't you see that I'm having _so_ much fun?" I rolled my eyes as we were tossed in front of Jet.

"Sokka, Kai I'm so glad you could join us." He smirked. I smiled.

"Thanks for having us! I just love being held at knife point by some cross-dresser. No offense Smellerbee, I don't judge." I shrugged. I could've sworn she was gonna shank me right then and there, but luckily Sokka decided to cut in.

"I heard your plan to destroy the Earth kingdom town." He announced.

"Our plan is to rid the valley of the Fire nation." Jet crossed his arms. Sokka stood up.

"There are people living there Jet! Mothers, fathers, and children!" he yelled. Jet shrugged.

"We can't win without making some sacrifices." I glared at Jet.

"These aren't _sacrifices_! This is murder of the innocent, plain and simple!" I yelled.

"You lied to Aang and Katara about the forest fire!" Sokka pointed an accusing finger at Jet.

"Because they don't understand the demands of war! Not like you and I do." Jet smirked. I actually flinched at his creepy face.

"I do understand! I understand that there's nothing you won't do to get what you want!" Sokka glared. Jet merely lifted an eyebrow.

"I was hoping that you'd have an open mind, but I can see that you've made your choice." Suddenly Smellerbee and Pipsqueak began to converge on Sokka.

"I can't have you warning Katara and Aang. Take him on a walk, a _long_ walk." Just as they grabbed Sokka I lashed out, shooting fire at Smellerbee and Pipsqueak. They yelled out in alarm as they dodged the flames. I went to grab Sokka, but suddenly a hand restrained mine and a sword sat against my throat.

"If I feel any heat at all, you're head comes off. I tried to accept you, even as a fire bender. But, I can see that you're willing to defend those monsters so that makes you one too." Jet growled as he tightened his grip on my hands. I struggled a little.

"I want to defend the innocent. There's a difference. If anyone's a monster here, it's you." I glared as the sword put more pressure on my throat.

"Fine, if you want to be on their side then you can die with them." He tossed me to Smellerbee and Longshot while Pipsqueak restrained Sokka.

"Tie her up in front of the dam. She can drown with the rest of them." He glared at me. Sokka began kicking at Pipsqueak.

"No! Kai! Jet let her go, _now!_ " Pipsqueak merely carried Sokka off into the woods. The Duke looked over at me with wide eyes before turning to Jet.

"Jet! Can't we let her go? Why do we have to kill her too?!" He protested. Jet looked down at him.

"She's just like all those other fire benders. Don't let her fool you! Remember, it's for the good of the valley." Jet insisted. The Duke looked at me, conflicted before facing the ground. I began struggling more and was about to fire bend at the punks when suddenly something hard hit my head and blackness covered my vision.

"There, that'll keep you from struggling."

* * *

"Ugh…my head." I woke up slowly, my head pounding. _I'm gonna kill Smellerbee! She knocked me out!_ I glared as my vision began to clear. I shook my head and looked around. I was tied to some sort of barrel. I was sitting in the middle of a small stream of water. Looking behind me I gasped as I saw the dam. _Jet! That son of a biscuit! He's gonna drown me!_

Looking down I realized that they tied me up with regular rope, but they seemed to be covered in some sort of goo. _They do know that I can burn out of these ropes right? Something must be up…_ I took a closer look at the goo. I smelled it and gasped. This was blasting jelly! If I tried to burn through these ropes the whole thing would go BOOM! I did not want to die via exploding myself. I looked around frantically for anything that could cut the ropes.

 _Ugh! Now I wish Smellerbee were here just so I could snatch a knife from that- wait a minute, knife! I have Hakoda's knife!_ I thought with glee. I quickly scooted my boot closer to my hands. Stretching my hand out, I managed to grab the handle of the knife from my shoe. Pulling it out, I swiftly cut the ropes holding me and scrambled away from the blasting jelly. I sighed in relief that I wasn't going to explode. Then I remembered the village. _I have to warm them!_

I ran as fast as I could along the river, following it down stream and arriving at the small village. I looked around in confusion. _Huh?...Nobodies here._ I looked around.

"Hello? Anybody here? I'm trying to save you from dying a watery death!" I shouted out. Nobody was to be found. It was like a ghost village. I put my hands on my hips.

"Well, I guess it's good that everybody decided to take a hike for today. What great timing." I was about to leave when I suddenly heard a small voice.

"Mommy? Daddy?" I looked behind me and saw a small girl hugging a doll behind a house. I cautiously approached her. When she noticed me she was about to run away, but I held up my hands in a placating manner and knelt down.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. Where's your mommy?" I asked softly. The little girl looked up at me with watery eyes. _Cute! Wait, no get back on track._

"I-I don't know *hic*. Mommy and daddy went with *hic* the others somewhere after the ponytail guy said something about a dam. *hic* I tried to follow, b-but I got *hic* lost!" She whimpered as she began to cry. I quickly walked over to her and hugged her. She cried into my shoulder. _Ponytail guy…looks like Sokka was able to warn the villagers._

"Shh…it's going to be okay! I'm gonna take you to your mommy now, okay?" I stood up, carrying the little girl in my arms. She nodded into my shoulder as I began to walk away. Suddenly an explosion rocked the valley. _Oh no! The dam!_

I gasped as I faced the river and saw a giant wall of water heading straight for me. Knowing that I had limited time I quickly ripped the bottom of my shirt and used the cloth to tie the girl to the front of my body tightly. I ran as fast as I could and fire bended jets out of my feet to get onto one of the roofs. I began jumping onto different roofs as the water approached. I hugged the girl tighter to my body.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to hold your breath for a while. And hold onto me very tightly no matter what!" I ordered. The girl quickly nodded again. I took a deep breath. _Oh gosh, I really hate water!_

Suddenly the giant wave crashed into my body sending me off the roof. I felt my self being pulled in by the water. I couldn't tell up from down as we flipped and turned with the current. I immediately felt my limbs lock up. _No! Not again! Not now of all times!_

I tried to fight the fear over taking my body, but my limbs refused to move. Air continued to escape my lungs the longer we were under. I could barely make out the sunlight above the water as the water continued to pull me down. I felt myself slowly begin to lose consciousness. _Wow, after everything this is how I die? I think going by blasting jelly would've at least been cooler._ My body began to shut down as my eyes began to close. Suddenly, a small kick to my gut reminded me that I was not alone. _That's right; this little girl is depending on me. How pathetic, am I really not even going to try and live?_

I tried to move my legs again, but they still didn't respond. I tried harder. _You're my limbs! You do what I say!_ I felt my leg begin to kick, and I could've cried with joy except I was still drowning. I forced myself to ignore the fear in the back of my mind. That was then, and this is now. And now, a little girl wants to see her mommy.

My limbs began working furiously, kicking and paddling to reach the surface and fight the water. I suddenly had an idea. Heat exploded from my body, evaporating the water that came in contact with it. I continuously evaporated water as I made sure that the heat never touched the little girl. I could feel my energy draining as more steam appeared around me, and just when I was about to pass out I felt the water stop coming. I gasped as I lay on the wet ground. Looking around me, I saw that a river flowed in front of me. I swam down far enough and evaporated enough water to where I was out of that crazy current.

Remembering the girl I quickly sat up and opened my arms. There sat the little girl. She was coughing, but she was alive. I gave a sigh in relief. I stood up wobbly with the girl still in my arms. I knew that the rest of the villagers wouldn't have gone far. I kept on walking down the river until I saw a large group of people standing by the river. I slowly walked up to the crowd.

"Um, excuse me. I'm looking for this girl's parents." I explained as I held up the toddler. Immediately I heard a shout.

"Maya! Oh thank goodness! We couldn't find you anywhere!" A woman cried hysterically as she and a man burst out of the crowd and ran towards me. I held out the girl as she began to cry.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The woman took the little girl into her arms and the man wrapped his arms around his family.

"Thank goodness…" He whispered as tears flowed down his face. I smiled tiredly as I watched the reunion before remembering that I had my own family to check up on. I turned away and began to walk away when an arm stopped me.

"You saved my daughter's life. I can't thank you enough." The woman hugged me tightly. I stood there awkwardly for a minute before hesitantly hugging her back.

"You don't need to thank me, it was my pleasure. When I got scared, it was your daughter that pushed me to keep moving. So, technically she saved both our lives." I smiled. The woman let me go with a smile on her face. The man held the girl in his arm as he pat me on the shoulder and thanked me also. The little girl struggled out of her dad's hold and ran over to me.

"Thanks a lot Miss! I hope I see you again!" She beamed at me as she hugged my leg. I rubbed her head softly.

"Me too." I waved at them once the girl detached from my leg and walked away.I began to walk back up the river. Best place to check for the others was up at the beginning of the reservoir. That's where Jet sent Aang and Katara.

* * *

I followed the river back up to a cliff. I heard sounds and voices so I followed them and I found the others. Jet was frozen to a tree with Sokka, Katara, and Aang in front of him.

"Sokka, you traitor!" Jet yelled in anger. Sokka shook his head and I realized that he and the other two had tears running down their faces. _There seems to be a lot of crying today._

"No Jet, you became the traitor when you stopped protecting the innocent." Sokka said as he turned away. Jet turned towards Katara.

"Katara please, help me." He begged. I almost laughed. _Dude! You just tried to murder a whole village!_ Suddenly Katara did something that shocked me. She punched Jet, right in the face. I winced.

"YOU KILLED MY SISTER! Why in the world would I help you?!" She yelled. My eyes widened in shock. _Oh, they think I'm dead. That explains a lot._ I saw Katara raise her fist again and quickly ran out there.

"Whoa Katara! Don't kill the boy!" I shouted as I ran over to them. Katara lowered her fist as they all stared at me in shock. Suddenly I was tackled to the ground by an orange blur.

"Kai! You're okay!" Aang cried into my shoulder. I patted his shoulder.

"Course I am! Takes a little more than some blasting jelly and water to take me out!" I smiled at him as he got off of me. Suddenly I was pulled into another hug, this time by my very emotional siblings.

"Kai! We thought…we thought that you were…" Sokka trailed off as he tightened his grip on me. Katara cried harder into my shoulder.

"I thought that you were gone, just like mom! And that it was all my fault!" she sobbed. I hugged them back tightly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." I smiled before pulling Aang back into the group hug. We stayed there for a few minutes until they finally stopped crying and were stable enough to get back onto Appa, after giving Jet a wave goodbye of course. Once we were up in the air Katara gave me another hug before backing up a bit and looking at my soaking body.

"Why are you all wet?" She asked. I looked down realizing that I hadn't fully dried myself off. I quickly evaporated the water from my body.

"Oh you know, exploding dam and all." I shrugged. Aang looked over at me.

"Oh yeah, how did you get out of there anyways?" He asked. I pulled out the knife from my boot.

"Luckily I always have a knife in my boot." I explained. Katara and Sokka looked at me like I was crazy.

"…What person always has a knife in their boot?" Sokka asked as he turned from his position on Appa's head. I stared at him before responding.

"What person doesn't?"

"Normal people Kai…" Katara sighed before shaking her head. Aang turned to Sokka.

"We thought you were going to the dam, what made you go to the village instead?" He asked with a smile. Katara turned also.

"Let me guess, instincts right?" Sokka shrugged.

"Hey, sometimes they're right." He replied with a smug look. Katara, Aang, and I all shared looks.

"Then you know we're going the wrong way, right?" Aang called out. Sokka's eyes widened before he swung his arms to the right, turning Appa around.

"And sometimes they're wrong!" I laid back on Appa with a sigh.

"More like most of the time." I snorted. I started thinking back to that toddler I saved and her parents. _Hmm…kids are weird._ I sat up and looked over at Katara.

"Hey, Katara? Where do babies come from?" She and Sokka immediately choked.

"What?!"

* * *

 **Ah, that question that no parent wants to hear. Anyways, that's the end of chapter 9! I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

 **Next time, on Legend of Kai! – Kai gets the talk!...just kidding, it's the Great Divide.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Great Divide

**Chapter 10: The Great Divide**

 **Hey guys! Yeah, i agree that in the last chapter Jet was crazy! Look forward to seeing him again later though. Anyways here's the 10** **th** **chapter of Legend of Kai! Hope you enjoy! –Cleo0421**

 **P.S: There's an important A/N at the bottom of this chapter, so be sure to read that!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Kai.  
**

* * *

"Um, aren't you forgetting the tarp?" Katara called out. I looked up from my place on the floor. We were making camp tonight near some rocky canyons. Aang went out to get some food, Sokka was setting up the tent, Katara was collecting sticks, and I got to light the fire. I liked having the easiest job. Sokka crawled out of the tent and picked up the rolled up tarp.

"Right, got it." He tossed the tarp into the tent and I sighed while lying back down. _Here comes another argument about something stupid. Honestly, sometimes I forget that_ I'm _supposed to be the 12 year old…That reminds me, I'll have to remember to ask Katara where babies come from when I'm 13. She said she would tell me then._

Katara looked at Sokka with an annoyed frown.

"Sokka, you're supposed to put the tarp on top of the tent. You know, so we don't get rained on?" she rolled her eyes. Sokka waved her off.

"Ordinarily you'd be right, but seeing as it's the dry season, you're not." He bent down to secure one of the tents pegs.

"Besides, that tarp makes a pretty warm blanket." He insisted as he tightened the rope.

"But, what if it does rain?" Katara glared at him.

"What if it doesn't? Then I would've put up the tarp for nothing." Sokka frowned at the tent. Suddenly Katara groaned in frustration and stomped her foot.

"Ugh! You're infuriating!"

"Katara, why don't you worry about gathering the firewood because that kindling's looking pretty sorry." He smirked smugly. My eyes widened and I discreetly hid behind a rock as Katara's eye twitched before she exploded.

"Well, if you don't like my firewood!" she threw the sticks in her hands at Sokka who shielded his face before standing up in anger.

"Fine by me! If you're not gonna do your job!" He pulled the rope holding our tent up with a grunt of frustration, and the tent collapsed in a heap just as Aang reappeared.

"Okay, I got the grub if you guys got the…hey! Where's the campfire? And what happened to the tent?" he looked between them in confusion. They merely looked away from each other in anger.

"Why don't you ask Miss Know-it-all, queen of the twigs?" Sokka waved over his shoulder. Katara turned on him.

"Oh yeah? Well you're Mr. Lazy-bum, king of the tents!" She insulted as she threw another twig at his head. I covered my mouth to stifle my laugh. _Really? That's the best you can do? Gran Gran has better insults than you two!_

Aang apparently thought so too as he laughed a little before spreading his hands out.

"Okay, listen guys. Harsh words aren't going to solve anything, action will. Why don't you just switch jobs?" He suggested. Katara and Sokka immediately went back to work.

"Sounds good." Katara bent down to the tent.

"Whatever…" Sokka grumbled as he began to collect Katara's fallen twigs. Aang looked very pleased with himself.

"See that? Making peace and settling feuds, all in a day's work for the Avatar." He smiled. Deeming it was safe again, I stepped out from behind my hiding place.

"You know, you guys should really work on your insults. I mean, next time we see Zuko can you imagine how mad all of us could make him? That would be hilarious." I commented as I sat back on the ground. Sokka looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.

"And why exactly would we want to anger the guy trying to capture us?" he asked as he bent down to pick up another stick.

"For funzies." I shrugged. Katara glanced over at me from the tent.

"That's not a real word Kai." She commented. I waved her off.

"I prefer to think of it as stretching my imagination by creating funner words to say."

"Funner isn't a word either."

"Psh, it totally is." I insisted. Aang nodded in agreement.

"I think it is too. There's bigger, faster, and greater. Why can't there be funner?" I high-fived him.

Suddenly we turned to Momo as we heard him screech. We saw Momo trying to get a melon from under Appa's finger. He tried pushing, pulling, and even flying it out but nothing worked. As Appa was about to lick the melon into his mouth Momo swooped in and grabbed it, but Aang took it from Momo. Throwing the melon into the air, Aang used air bending to cut the melon. He gave the bigger half to Appa before handing Momo the smaller one. Momo screeched in protest.

"C'mon Momo, that's fair! Appa has 5 stomachs!" Aang explained. I looked over.

"Actually, I think it's still unfair. Momo does not need to eat that much. It's practically as big as him! Give me some of that!"

* * *

After resting the night we flew to the edge of a huge canyon. Aang landed Appa and we all got out to look at it.

"There it is guys! The Great Divide!" Aang announced as he stretched his arm towards the canyon. Katara stared at it in awe.

"Wow, I could just stare at it for hours."

"Okay, I've seen enough." Sokka turned away from the canyon and began walking back to Appa. Katara looked at him in disbelief.

"How can you not be fascinated Sokka? This is the largest canyon in the world!" she stated. I joined Sokka by Appa. Aang looked over at me in question.

"Eh, I don't have the attention span to stare at it for more than five seconds." I said in explanation as Aang nodded in understanding.

"Then I'm sure we'll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away." Sokka ignored us. Suddenly a man ran by me and Sokka, pushing my brother as he ran past in a…was that a dress?!

"Hey! If you're looking for the canyon guide I was here first!" He yelled as he walked up to Katara and Aang. I looked at him in disbelief.

"Dude, we were here literally 10 minutes before you even showed up." I crossed my arms. He glared at me.

"I was still here first!" He insisted. I rolled my eyes before walking up to Aang.

"Be careful, he's delusional." I whispered into Aang's ear. He laughed in response. Katara looked at the man with a smile.

"Oooo! Canyon guide, sounds informative." She said happily. Of course she'd actually want to _learn_ something. _Ugh, learning. Gross._

"Believe me, he's more than a tour guide. He's an earth bender, and the only way to get through the canyon is with his help. And, he's taking my tribe across next!" He glared at us pointedly. I laughed as Sokka began making faces behind the man's back before putting on a normal face as the man turned towards him.

"Calm down, we know you're next." Sokka smiled as he walked over to the rest of us.

"You wouldn't be calm if the Fire nation destroyed your home and forced you to leave! My whole tribe has to walk thousands of miles to the capital city of Ba Sing Se!" He complained, rather annoyingly might I add. When he mentioned the Fire nation I discreetly hid behind Sokka. I didn't want to be attacked _again_. Katara looked at the man with wide eyes.

"You're a refugee." She stated. He turned his face upwards haughtily.

"Hm, tell me something I don't know." I rolled my eyes at his attitude. Suddenly our attention was drawn to an approaching group of people. They looked like the dirty, rude, tough type. My kind of people!

"Is that you're tribe?" Katara asked. The man glared at the approaching group in hate.

"It most certainly is not! That's the Zhang tribe, a bunch of lowlife thieves. They've been the enemies of my tribe for a hundred years." He explained before whistling.

"Hey Zhangs! I'm saving a spot for my tribe, so don't even think of stealing it!" He stated as a large, scary looking woman walked up to him.

"Where are the rest of the Gan Jin? Still tidying up the campsite?" She smirked. The man stood up straight.

"Yes, but they sent me ahead of them to hold a spot!" He stated.

"I didn't know that the canyon guide took reservations." The woman crossed her arms. The man scoffed.

"Of course you wouldn't. That's the ignorance I'd expect from a messy Zhang, so unorganized and ill prepared for a journey." He smirked as shouts of protest arose from the Zhangs.

"Pst! Do you really think you should anger them? There's like 20 of them and 1 of you." I subtly whispered over. The woman from the Zhang tribe heard me and looked over. She seemed to examine me for a second.

"Hm, there's something about you that seems familiar…" She mused. Sokka immediately pulled me behind him again.

"Ha-ha! What're you talking about? My sister is just your average water tribe member!" He announced suspiciously. The woman raised an eyebrow. Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to the canyon entrance as the rocks blocking it were lifted and thrown out of the way. An elderly man with a hat made of hay stepped out.

"Sorry for the wait youngsters. Who's ready to cross this here canyon?" He gestured to the entrance. He seemed like some sort of hillbilly to me. Katara looked over.

"Uh, one of them I think." She pointed at the Zhang tribe and the man in a dress. The man immediately ran up.

"I was here first! My parties on their way!" He announced. The guide merely lifted an eyebrow.

"I can't guide people that aren't here." He stated. The Zhang tribe began to walk to the entrance.

"Guess you guys will have to make the trip tomorrow." The woman remarked smugly as she walked by. Suddenly the man pointed to the right.

"Wait, here they come!" He announced as a very prissy looking group of people emerged into the clearing. They looked like Katara's kind of people. I could practically hear some sort of choir music as they walked towards us with their heads held high and with their hands held together in their sleeves.

"You're not seriously going to cave in to these spoiled Gan Jins, I mean we're refugees too! And, we've got sick people that need shelter." The woman pointed at her group as she spoke to the guide. He looked around nervously.

"I-uh-well…"

"We've got old people who are weary from traveling!" The man yelled from the Gan Jin side.

"Sick people get priority over old people!"

"Maybe you Zhangs wouldn't have so many sick people if you weren't such slobs!" An elderly man cut in. I was guessing that he's the leader of the Gan Jins.

"If you Gan Jins weren't so clean, then maybe you wouldn't live to be so old!" The Zhang lady countered. I held my hand up to my chin.

"That's not a very good insult. Don't most people want to live long? And saying that they're clean isn't a good insult at all, unless they don't like being clean. Now if you said something like, 'You arrogant, prissy, stuck-up-!'" I was cut off by a hand over my mouth. Looking up I realized that Katara had stopped me since the Gan Jins were giving me quite the nasty look. I gulped nervously as Katara removed her hand.

"Right…well just ignore the little girl behind the giant bison." I quickly hid behind Appa. Silence covered the area for a little until the two tribes continued to throw insults at each other. Katara turned towards Aang.

"Well Aang, ready to put your peace-making skills to the test?"

"I dunno…a fight over chores is one thing, but these people have been feuding for 100 years." He looked down unsurely. Then Katara promptly decided to throw Aang under the bus.

"Everyone listen up! This is the Avatar, and if you give him a chance I'm sure that he can come up with a compromise that will make everyone happy!" She announced making the tribes turn to Aang. I scoffed.

"I'm pretty sure that 'happy' is not in these people's vocabulary." I muttered from behind Appa. He grunted in agreement. Aang looked between the tribes unsurely.

"Uh, you could share the earth bender and travel together?" he suggested weakly.

"Absolutely not! We'd rather be taken by the Fire nation than travel with those stinking thieves!" The old man shouted, pointing a finger at the Zhangs. The woman scoffed.

"We wouldn't travel with you pompous fools anyways!" she countered. Immediately the tribes began to argue again, giving me a headache. Aang looked between them with growing irritation, until finally he snapped.

"Alright, here's the deal! You're all going down together and Appa here will fly your sick and elderly across! Does that seem fair?!" he shouted. Surprisingly, the two tribes nodded in agreement, making Aang smile happily.

* * *

After loading the sick and elderly on Appa we prepared to travel the canyon. Aang walked over to Appa and pet his nose.

"Sorry Appa, you're going to have to do this on your own." He stated sadly. Sokka walked up to Aang with a serious expression.

"Aang, this feuding stuff is serious business. Are you sure it's a good idea getting involved in this?" He asked. I patted him on the shoulder.

"When is anything we do ever a good idea? We're all a bunch of kids riding a flying bison while running from some crazy Fire nation prince and we have to go against the Fire nation. What's the worst that could happen?" I shrugged. Aang looked at me.

"Well, that's not exactly how I would put it but yeah. I'm never sure of most of the things I do anyways, so what's the worst that could happen?" he nodded. Katara walked over and put her hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Aang's the Avatar Sokka. Making peace between people is his job." She stated with a smile. Sokka looked at the canyon in despair.

"His job's gonna make us cross this whole thing on foot, isn't it…" he sighed. I elbowed him.

"And what's wrong with walking Mr. Let's-walk-through-the-forest-because-my-instincts-say-so?" I smirked. He smacked my head.

"Shut up! It all worked out in the end!" He crossed his arms with a huff. Rubbing the spot where he hit me, I suddenly got a very evil idea. I immediately began sniffling and making big doe eyes.

"Katara, Sokka's bullying me!" I accused as I pointed at my brother. He stared at me in horror before turning to an approaching Katara.

"W-wait! She's lying Katara!" He shouted as he pointed at me. Katara ignored him and hit him over the head.

"Sokka! Be nice to Kai!" She shouted before hitting him again. I smirked at him from behind Katara's back. He glared at me as Katara walked away. I wiggled my fingers at him before walking back over to Aang who looked at me with wide eyes.

"You can be evil sometimes…" He whispered out. I winked at him.

"Yup, and you better remember that if you want to stay on Katara's good side." I smiled as he paled rapidly. Suddenly our attention was drawn to the canyon guide as he walked out.

"Okay, here comes the bad news. No food in the canyon. It attracts dangerous predators." He explained as he wiggled his fingers. Immediately the two tribes began to protest. I rolled my eyes. _Did they not hear him say dangerous predators?_ The canyon guide merely smiled.

"Aw, you babies can go a day without food. Would you rather be hungry, or dead?" He stated as he bent a small pillar underneath him so that he was higher up.

"Now, we're headin down in ten minutes! All food better be in your gut, or in the garbage!" He announced loudly. Everyone began pulling out food. The Zhangs pulled out meat and dug in with their bare hands. The Gan Jin ate daintily with chopsticks and bowls. I could practically hear the choir music again. Aang jumped on top of Appa to talk to the passengers.

"Appa's gonna take good care of you until we get there." He said as he jumped off. Aang pat Appa.

"See you on the other side buddy, yip yip!" he said. I waved to Appa as he disappeared in the distance. Looking back over the canyon, I sighed.

"Walking sucks…"

* * *

We entered into the canyon and were currently following a zigzagging pathway down. The guide held out his hand as we approached a large gap in the pathway. With a grunt, he bent a pathway across.

"Nice bending!" Aang smiled at the man.

"The job's more than just bending kid. Folks want information!" He stated as he stopped at the edge of another cliff.

"Many of you are probably wondering how canyons are formed. Experts tell us that this canyon was most likely carved in the ground by earth spirits who were angry at local farmers for not offering up proper sacrifices." He explained. Everyone shared glances before gasping as we all looked up. Rocks were about to fall on all of our heads. We all screamed, but luckily the guide bent the rocks over our heads and away from us.

"Guess the spirits are still angry! I hope you brought sacrifices!" He laughed happily walking away. We all gave him unimpressed looks. I looked over at Katara.

"Can we leave now? I don't want to be stuck in a canyon with this lunatic. I think he's been doing this for too long…"

* * *

"Okay, everyone stand clear of the walls!" The guide shouted. With a grunt, he launched a large bolder at the path we had just walked on and destroyed it. The destroyed rocks fell down the wall and onto the ground. Aang turned to the guide in confusion.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked. The guide pointed a finger at the tribes.

"These people are fleeing the Fire nation aren't they? Gotta make sure we can't be followed." He explained. I looked up at the path with a raised eyebrow.

"Wouldn't it be easier just to bend the path back into the walls after everyone has gotten across? Instead you're aiming a large boulder that could miss the path. That seems like a lot more work for nothing. And, if I were the Fire nation, I wouldn't let a small gap in the path stop me. Couldn't they just take some rope and lower themselves down? Or they could jump down and use fire bending to-."

"Anyways!" The guide promptly cut me off. "What matters is we'll be safe now." He finished. As if on cue, a giant creature appeared out of the smoke and grabbed the guide by the shoulder and lifted him into the air.

"Ah!" He screamed out. Aang air bended the dust away, revealing some large ant-looking thing. It had the guide in its mouth and began to swing him around. Sokka ran up with his boomerang in hand.

"We gotta help him!" He shouted before throwing his boomerang at the beast. It hit it on the head, making him let go of the guide who flew to the side and landed in a heap. The creature turned to Sokka in anger and began to chase him.

"Okay, now we gotta help me!" he yelled as he ran away in panic. Katara ran up and used the water whip on the creature, but it just made it mad as it went to attack her. She ran away as Aang appeared in front of her. With a grunt he bent a wave of air at the creature, making it fly back. Not one to stand around, I ran up the creature and got out my sword. Fire bending around my hands again, I slashed downwards sending a wave of fire at the beast. It set its side on fire and the thing ran back up the walls in fright.

Katara ran over to check on the guide. I walked over as well.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I looked at his wounds. He looked up at me with wide eyes.

"You…you're a fire bender." He stated as he stared at my hands. I looked at them in realization.

"Oops…" I rubbed the back of my head nervously. Looking over at the two tribes I saw them glaring at me. I quickly stepped behind Sokka who held out his arm in front of me as Aang stepped forward.

"Yes, Kai is a fire bender. But, she was raised in the South Pole. She's my friend, and if you attack her I won't hold back. I'm really getting tired of peopled attacking her just because she's a fire bender! So if you guys have a problem with it, you have to go through me!" He shouted. I never thought of Aang as a scary person, but the look he was giving the tribes was enough to scare even me. The tribes all gulped nervously before nodding in understanding. I sighed in relief as I stepped out from behind Sokka.

"Whew, you guys have no idea how annoying it is to be attacked all the time. Seriously, the last guy we dealt with tried to blow me up next to a dam!" I whined as I sat on a rock. Sokka pat me on the back sympathetically as the two tribes stared at us like we were crazy. Aang smiled at me, and I smiled back appreciatively. He turned to the guide who still looked upset, but didn't mention it again.

"What was that thing?" Aang asked. The guide turned to him, his face morphing from anger to terror.

"Canyon crawler! And there's sure to be more!" He announced as Katara looked at his arms.

"Your arms, they're broken!" She stated. The guide turned his head.

"Without my arms, I got no bending. In other words…"

"We're trapped in this canyon." Aang finished with wide eyes. I turned to the guide.

"Couldn't you bend with your feet?" I asked. He stared at me with wide eyes.

"I can't bend with just my feet. I've always needed my hands." He said. I sighed. _Of course he can't bend with his feet._

"Worst. Guide. Ever."

* * *

"I thought the whole point of ditching our food was so that we wouldn't have to deal with things like canyon crawlers." Sokka stated as he crossed his arms. Immediately the Gan Jin leader pointed his finger at the Zhangs.

"It's the Zhangs! They took food down here, even though the guide told them not to!" He accused.

"What?! If there's anyone who can't go a day without food it's you pampered Gan Jins!" The Zhang woman countered.

"I hope you're happy! We're stuck in this canyon with no way out!"

"Why don't you thank yourself food hider!"

"Look" Aang cut in. "sticking together is the only way to-."

"I'm not taking another step with the likes of them." The woman pointed at the Gan Jins. The elderly man crossed his arms.

"Now, there's something we can agree on." He stated. Aang turned towards the rest of us.

"Any ideas?" He asked. The guide turned to him with a crazy look in his eyes.

"No bending. We need to get out of this canyon. I won't die down here! I won't become part of the food chain!" The poor man looked close to tears.

"See! We're going to become part of the food chain because of you!" The elderly man shouted as he pointed his finger at the Zhangs, again.

"Sure, unjustly blame the Zhangs like you always do!"

"Gladly!" Suddenly they were cut off by a blast of wind.

"Enough! I thought I could help you guys get along, but I guess that's not gonna happen!" He jumped on top of a rock wall that divided the canyon.

"We should split up! Gan Jins on this side and Zhangs on that side!" He announced. The two tribes nodded before beginning towards their respective sides. I blew my bangs out of my face.

"You know what I think? The Gan Jins probably brought down food because they thought that the Zhangs would, and the Zhangs thought that the Gan Jins would bring in food because they thought that the Zhangs would bring in food so the Zhangs brought food. It's simple feud psychology." I shrugged. Everyone stared at me.

"Yeah…nobody followed that Kai." Sokka said as he crossed his arms. I sighed.

"Basically, both tribes brought food because they thought the other did." I explained. Suddenly the woman and the elderly man turned on me.

"Who asked you?!" I flinched as they shouted at me before stomping into their respective paths. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeesh, touchy…" I murmured as Aang jumped back down in front of me and my siblings.

"Sokka, you go with the Zhangs and Katara, you go with the Gan Jins. See if you can find out why they hate each other so much." He stated before turning to me.

"And Kai, I don't think either tribe really likes you at all. You can come with me and Momo." He said. I nodded before grabbing onto his glider as he flew us on top of the rock divider again.

* * *

The sun eventually set on the canyon, and me and Aang kept watch as the two tribes set up tents and made fires. Aang and I sat on a rock as we looked at the two tribes.

"Sure would be nice to be around one of those campfires telling stories and laughing." Aang sighed sadly. I looked at him sadly before getting an idea. I looked around and spotted a bunch of branches lying around. Quickly standing up, I began to gather them.

"What are you doing?" Aang asked in confusion as I gathered the sticks into a small pile. I smiled at him before lighting my hand on fire and sticking it on the sticks. A few seconds later we had our very own campfire. I smiled at Aang as he beamed at me happily.

"Wow, thanks Kai!" He sat next to the fire, warming himself up.

"You know, it's times like this that I'm really glad that you're a fire bender." He stated. I laid down next to the fire with a somber look on my face.

"Thanks Aang, it's nice to not always be thought of as evil." I sighed. Aang looked over at me sympathetically before staring into the fire in understanding.

"You know Kai, I think I know what Agni and Vayu meant when they said that you would show people the true meaning of fire. Everyone always assumes that someone's evil just because they're a fire bender, but if they meet you they can see that you're good. I mean take Haru for example. He attacked you on the spot, but we were all friends by the time we left. Also I bet that if you hadn't grown up with Sokka and Katara they would've not trusted fire benders at all either. People may think that you're bad at first, but you're a good person. Give them some time and they'll warm up to you." He smiled encouragingly. I smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks Aang, but I think you're giving me too much credit. I'm not _that_ good of a person. I'm sure that not everyone I meet is going to immediately change their mind about fire benders." I stated.

"Maybe not, but if they don't accept you then that's their problem. You have a good heart, and if they can't see that then they're just mean poopy-heads." He stated surely. I laughed.

"Well let's hope we don't meet any mean poopy-heads then." I giggled. He laughed with me before sobering up.

"Sorry to bring up another serious topic, but when are you going to tell Sokka and Katara about the whole Azrita Zura thing? You told them what it is, but not what it could do to you…" he said sadly. I looked up at the stars.

"I hope I never have to tell them. But, I will. I don't want to tell them yet though. I still have time before it's an issue. I'd rather not think about it." I sighed. He nodded in understanding before changing the subject with a smile.

"Have you talked to Agni and Vayu recently through your new connection? I bet Agni would be upset if you haven't. She'd talk your head off." He laughed slightly as I groaned.

"Ugh, no I haven't thought to. You're right! Agni's totally going to make my brain explode! Hopefully Vayu can rein her in. I'll probably try to talk to them tonight. Geez! I can just imagine it, 'Kai! Why haven't you talked to us? We are your spiritual patrons! We have a right to know what you're doing at all times! I want to give you another deadly hug to teach you a lesson!'" I imitated Agni's voice before rubbing my temples. Aang laughed harder at my misfortune.

"Hey! You wouldn't be laughing if you were in my position!" I whined.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I'm _not_ in your position." Aang smiled as I glared at him. Suddenly our attention was drawn to someone chuckling.

"I'm glad you youngsters have each other. I'm sure that it'd be lonely otherwise. It's hard being impartial in a fight." The guide appeared from over a small ledge. Aang looked back to the tribes.

"Yeah, I want to help these people but I don't know how. Anyways, I guess our biggest problem is getting out of here." He mused as he stared at the canyon walls. The guide sat next to us.

"You know, I'm not sure that those two problems are unrelated." He said as he looked at us. We looked between each other in thought. The canyon guide turned his head towards me with a smile.

"Little lady, I want to apologize for the hostility I showed you earlier. After what I've seen of you tonight, I can tell that you're a good kid. Maybe a bit sarcastic and sometimes rude, but a good kid nonetheless." He smiled at me warmly. I smiled back as Aang lightly elbowed my side with a smug look. I rolled my eyes and lightly punched his shoulder before smiling.

"You said something about stories, right?" I asked. He nodded in affirmation as I leaned back on my hands.

"Do you want to hear the story about the time I got lost in the South Pole for two days?" I asked as I smirked at the memory. Aang nodded excitedly before leaning on his elbows to listen. I saw the guide lean closer to hear better.

"Well, it started when I saw this lone penguin out in the distance. I had never gone penguin sledding before so I was curious. I stole some fish from one of the tents nearby, and I snuck away while the others were doing chores. Gran Gran had a cow about it later. Anyways, I left the village and began to follow the little thing and I didn't realize how far out we were walking…" We spent the night laughing and telling stories before drifting off to sleep as the light of our campfire dimmed, and went out.

* * *

 _I opened my eyes and found myself in the same place that I first met Agni and Vayu. Looking in front of me I saw two silhouettes. I flinched as I saw one rapidly approaching me, and I braced myself._

" _KAI! I missed you! You haven't talked to us ever since the Solstice even though we told you that you could!" Agni whined as she once again crushed my body in her hold. I saw Vayu appear behind her with a sigh._

" _Honestly woman, you are hundreds of years old. At least try to act mature." He grumbled as he pulled her off of me. I gave him a grateful look. Agni pouted in his hold._

" _But that's no fun!" She crossed her arms as Vayu sat her down and looked at me._

" _You know that you can talk to us when you're awake right?" He grumbled. My eyes widened._

" _Wow, really? Wouldn't I pass out or something?" I questioned. He shook his head._

" _No, you wouldn't be transported to this place like you are now. We'd simply be voices in your head that you can block at will." He explained. I smiled._

" _That's so cool!" I jumped up and down happily. But, then Agni gave me a look._

" _Now that you know, you have no excuse to not talk to us at least once a day!" She announced with a glare. I flinched._

" _Right, sorry bout that." I rubbed the back of my head. Vayu shook his head._

" _She's not really mad. She's just been wanting to see you." He stated with a sigh. Agni glared at him._

" _It wasn't just me! You've been missing her too!" She pointed an accusing finger at the blue man who blushed slightly before coughing into his fist._

" _Anyways, I've seen your memories of what has happened since we last met. A lot has happened in that time." He mused. Agni cut in._

" _Yeah! I think you were too easy on that Jet guy! If I was there I would've given him the beating of a lifetime!" She announced as she punched her fist into her other hand. Vayu sighed._

" _Then thank goodness you weren't there. You might've killed the boy."_

" _He would've deserved it…" She mumbled. I laughed a little._

" _Thanks, but I don't think killing him would've been the best solution." I said. She shrugged and was about to retort when Vayu covered her mouth with his hand._

" _That's enough out of you, you overprotective spirit. Anyways Kai, we should probably send you back soon. The sun is starting to rise. Oh, and when you talk to Aang again tell him that honesty is not always the best policy." He stated as he turned to me. I cocked my head in confusion before nodding._

" _Aw, we have to go?" Agni pouted before pouncing on me again._

" _Talk to us soon Kai, okay?" she insisted. I nodded as she released me._

" _I will, I promise. But, I will block you out if you talk my head off." I warned. She merely winked at me as Vayu held his head in frustration._

" _If she does I will personally block her for you." He stated. I laughed. Agni's shout of indignation was the last thing I heard before I felt myself drift away.  
_

* * *

After waking up; Aang, the guide, and I continued down the rock divider. I told Aang Vayu's message. He looked at me in confusion and I simply shrugged. I had no idea what he was talking about either. We were nearing the end of the canyon when the guide turned around to announce it to the two tribes.

"All clear! We're almost to the end of the canyon!" He yelled out before continuing down. Aang looked between the two tribes in worry as we reached the end of the divider. Spotting Katara and Sokka coming out as well, he called out to them.

"Katara, Sokka will these people be able to work together long enough to get out of the canyon?" He asked. Katara looked at him.

"I don't think so Aang, the Zhangs really wronged the Gan Jins. They ambushed Jin Wei and stole the sacred orb." She glared. Aang and I looked at her like she was crazy.

"What are you talking about?" Aang asked. Sokka looked over as well.

"Yeah, what _are_ you talking about Katara? Wei Jin didn't steal the orb! He was returning it to the village gate and was wrongfully punished by the Gan Jin!" He insisted.

"Not punished enough if you ask me." Katara huffed. Sokka growled at her.

"Okay okay I get it! Now I need your help. Let's get everyone together at the base of the canyon wall." Aang said as he took out his glider and flew over to the group. I looked between my too siblings.

"Jin Wei and Wei Jin? Stolen orb? Are you sure this isn't just some sort of made up rumor or story?"

* * *

After gathering up everyone in front of the canyon walls they immediately began to argue.

"Please everyone! As soon as we get out of the canyon we can all eat and go our separate ways, but I need everyone to put their heads together and think of a way over this wall!" Aang said, pointing up at the giant canyon wall.

"Maybe the Zhang could climb the wall with their long, disgusting fingernails!" The elderly man shouted again.

"Oh sorry, I forgot that to the Gan Jin unclipped fingernails are a crime punishable by 20 years in jail!" The Zhang lady countered.

"Why you dirty thief!"

"You pompous fool!" Immediately insults flew from both sides, with Katara taking the Gan Jins side and Sokka taking the Zhangs.

"Guys focus! How many times will I have to say it? Harsh words won't solve problems, action will!" Aang shouted in the middle of the tribes. The shouting stopped at the tribes stared at each other.

"Perhaps the Avatar is right." The lady glared as the elderly man glared back.

"Yes, perhaps he is." Aang beamed at the two. But, their glares merely hardened.

"Harsh words will never solve our problems."

"Action will!" Immediately the two tribe leaders pulled out their swords and clashed in the middle. Aang yelled in fright.

"To the death! And let this be the end to this rivalry!" The old guy shouted. Aang waved his arms in panic.

"Y-you know I take it back! Harsh words aren't so bad!" He insisted. They ignored him. Swinging her sword above her head, the Zhang leaped at the Gan Jin only to be blocked. They exchanged swinging blows and blocks as they battled. The Gan Jin went to stab the woman but she dodged to the left before swinging her own sword at him. He jumped back before they clashed swords in the middle, both pushing the other back before jumping away from each other and glaring.

Looking down the Gan Jin's eyes widened as he saw his beard. The Zhang had somehow been able to cut it in half. Meanwhile the Zhang growled when her left pigtail fell to the ground, if you can call those little stubs pigtails. I growled in frustration as they charged at each other again. Swinging my arms upwards, a giant wall of fire appeared between the two leaders. They quickly backed away in fright. I walked up between them.

"Seriously?! We're stuck in a canyon and the thing you're worried about is killing each other?! I don't care what you think happened one hundred years ago; it has nothing to do with the here and now! Do you really think that whatever stories you've been told haven't been tweaked a bit ever since then?! I am seriously _this_ close to beating both of your butts!" I shouted as I glared at both tribes. They lowered their swords for a second in thought, but the Gan Jin quickly lifted his sword again.

"Why should we listen to anything a dirty _fire bender_ says?" He glared. The Zhang woman quickly followed his lead.

"Yeah! It's because of people like you that we're refugees in the first place!" She shouted. I gulped as they leapt at me from both sides, swords in hand. Just as they were about to collide with me, Aang jumped in. He grabbed me with one hand before slamming his staff into the ground with the other, sending a wave of air at both parties. They flew back.

Aang was huffing in frustration as we looked between the tribes, until we both saw something in shock. Food was strewn everywhere from both tribes. They had both brought in food. Aang's eyes widened in shock.

"Is that, food? Everyone smuggled food down here?! Unbelievable! You guys put our lives in danger because you couldn't go without a snack for a day?! You're all, AWFUL!" He shouted in anger. I sighed.

"I told you so." Suddenly Aang's eyes widened comically as he spotted something on the Zhang's side.

"So hungry…is that egg custard in that tart?" He asked as he held his grumbling stomach. Suddenly some noises made everyone turn around. Canyon crawlers were coming out of the walls like crazy. Everyone screamed and ran as the crawlers began to head for us. Katara, Sokka, and I hid behind a rock.

"Oh no! That's a lot of canyon crawlers!" Katara shouted as she glanced worriedly around the rock.

"I know! We barely survived one!" Sokka complained. We all looked over at the guide as he began to step away from the crawlers.

"They're coming back for me! They've had a taste, and they're coming back for me!" He stated crazily. We ignored him. Just as Sokka was about to run out with his boomerang Katara grabbed his arm.

"Sokka wait! I don't care about this stupid feud! I just want us to get out of this alive." She stated. Sokka smiled.

"Me too. I only took their side cause they fed me." He explained. I smacked my head.

"Of course you did." I grumbled. We ran out to fight the canyon crawlers. I saw Aang at the front and ran to his side. He kept on trying to blow away the crawlers, but they just kept coming back.

"Aang, duck!" I shouted. He immediately ducked down as I shot a wave of fire at the crawlers. They slammed into the walls and some even caught on fire. But, this time it didn't deter them. They came back again and again as we kept attacking. Aang created another tornado around us, sweeping the crawlers away but again it only fazed them. Looking around we saw crawlers everywhere attacking the people.

I kept looking around until suddenly Aang pulled on my arm. I turned to him in confusion, but he merely pointed at some crawlers digging into some bags full of food. I locked eyes with him and immediately understood his plan. Nodding, I picked up a bag of food from the floor as Aang yelled to the tribes.

"Everyone! Watch us and do what we do!" He called out as he also picked up a bag. He threw a piece of food at the crawlers, attracting their attention. We stepped away from each other before waving our bags of food tauntingly. As a crawler charged at me I quickly shot fire out of my feet and flipped over its head, trapping its face in my bag in the process.

Tightening the ropes to use as reigns, I led the crawler over to Aang. He had wrapped a bunch of food into a bag ant tied it to the front of his staff.

"Now follow me! We're riding out of this hole!" He waved his staff in the air, and all the crawlers immediately began to follow him. He held his staff in front of his own crawler and we all began to travel up the wall. I held on for dear life so that I wouldn't fall to my death. Once we reached the top Aang jumped off.

"Everyone, get off!" He shouted. I jumped off of my ride and bent my legs as I landed. I quickly ran out of the other crawler's way. After everyone was up and off Aang swung his staff around with a grunt, and the bag of food flew off the end of his staff and back into the canyon taking the crawlers with it. Once all the crawlers had left I sighed in relief. The two tribe leaders stood next to each other.

"I never thought a Gan Jin could get his hands dirty like that." The Zhang lady stated.

"And I never knew you Zhangs were so reliable in a pinch." The old guy commented.

"Perhaps we aren't so different after all." The lady thought with a small smile. Aang sighed in relief. The old guy nodded before frowning.

"Too bad we can't rewrite history. You thieves stole our sacred orb from Jin Wei." He accused, taking out his sword again.

"And you tyrants unjustly imprisoned Wei Jin for 20 long years!" The Zhang countered, taking out her sword as well. Aang smacked his face in frustration before his eyes widened.

"Wait a second. Jin Wei? Wei Jin? I know those guys!" he announced with a smile.

"Yes, yes we're all aware of the story." The old guy stated as the two tribe leaders held each other at sword point. Aang shook his head.

"No, I mean I really knew them. I might not look it, but I'm 112 years old. I was there 100 years ago on the day you're talking about. There seems to be a lot of confusion about what happened. First of all, Jin Wei and Wei Jin weren't enemies. They were brothers, twins in fact. And, they were eight. And most importantly, they were just playing a game! The sacred orb from the legend, that was the ball, and the eastern and western gates were the goal posts. Jin Wei had the ball and was running towards the goal when he fell and fumbled it. Wei Jin didn't steal the ball, he just picked it back up and started running towards the other goal. But, he stepped out of bounds so the official put him in the penalty box. Not for 20 long years, but for two short minutes. There was no stealing and no putting anyone in prison. It was just a game." Aang finished his explanation.

"You're saying the sacred orb was a sacred ball?" The Zhang lady asked. Aang shook his head

"Nope, just a regular ball." He said.

"What about our tribe's redemption ritual?" One of the Gan Jins yelled out.

"That's what the game was called. Whenever someone would get the ball from one goal to another everyone would yell out, redemption!" Aang shouted as he threw his hands up. The two tribes looked at each other as Aang continued.

"Don't get me wrong Wei Jin was kinda a slob and Jin Wei was a little stuffy, that much is true. But, they respected each other's differences enough to share the same playing field." Aang finished with a smile. The old Gan Jin and the Zhang lady looked at each other.

"I suppose it's time we forget the past." The lady said.

"And look to the future." The old guy finished as they bowed to each other. I smiled. _Finally!_

* * *

"Good to see you boy, did you miss me?" Aang walked over to Appa and gave him a big hug. He laughed as Appa gave him a lick. The Gan Jin guy walked over to him.

"I cannot thank you enough Avatar." He said gratefully. Aang turned around, revealing his saliva covered state.

"Well you know, I try." He smiled. The old guy backed up in disgust after seeing Aang's appearance before shaking off his disgust and walking over to me. I looked up at him in surprise.

"And you, young fire bender. I wish to thank and apologize to you. We had assumed the worst of you even when you had done nothing wrong. Even after we showed you disdain you still tried to help us, and even then we tried to attack you. You have proven yourself to be a kind, although slightly disrespectful, young lady." He bowed to me. I stared at him in shock for a second before bowing back.

"Thank you, and I hope that you have a safe trip to Ba Sing Se." I smiled as I stood back up. He smiled back before walking over to the rest of the two tribes.

"From now on we will travel to Ba Sing Se as one tribe!" The Zhang lady announced. Suddenly the canyon guide called out.

"I'm going too! I'm sick of this place!" He announced as he joined the two tribes. I stared at him.

"How are people going to get across the canyon now?" I mused. Sokka turned towards Aang.

"That was some luck that you knew Jin Wei and Wei Jin." He smiled. Aang smirked deviously.

"You could call it luck…or you could call it lying." We all stared at him in shock.

"What?!" Sokka gaped.

"I made the whole thing up!" He smiled. Katara smirked.

"You did not. That is so wrong." She stated. Aang looked towards me.

"Actually, it was Kai that gave me the idea." He pointed. Katara and Sokka gaped at me. I held my chin in confusion before it hit me.

"Oh! You're talking about what Vayu told me! Now I get it!" I snapped in realization. He nodded as Katara and Sokka merely looked between us confused. I merely smiled cheekily before climbing on top of Appa. Aang looked down at the canyon.

"Now where's that tart? I'm hungry!" He announced. I was about to follow him when I realized something.

"Oh no! Guys we did it again!" I shouted as I smacked my forehead. They looked at me in confusion.

"What?" Katara asked. I pointed down the path that the tribes had left on.

"We didn't learn _any_ of their names!"

* * *

 **That's a wrap on chapter 10! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Next one should be up in a few days!**

 **ANOTHER ALERT!:  
** **Sorry guys, but I'm going on another trip next week. This time it'll only be for a week though so don't worry! I'm leaving on the 27** **th** **and coming back on the 4** **th** **. I'll post 1, possibly 2, chapters before I leave and I'll try to post as soon as I get back. -Cleo**

 **All reviews are appreciated.**


	11. Chapter 11: The Storm

**Chapter 11: The Storm**

 **Hey guys! I'm so sorry about the delay on this chapter! My computer crashed before I had a chance to post it before, and I had to rewrite it because it didn't save. I don't have any more trips planned at the moment so I should be able to update this story every few days or so from now on! Anyways, here's the next chapter of Legend of Kai, hope you enjoy! –Cleo0421**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Kai  
**

* * *

" **Hey!"= Agni's thoughts**

"Hey." = Vayu's thoughts

" _Sup!"= Kai's thoughts_

* * *

"Ack! Momo get off my face!" I shouted as I tried to pry the lemur off of me. We were all sleeping for the night, but we were rudely awakened by Momo jumping on all of us. He attached himself to my face instead of jumping right off of me. Sokka held out his club and boomerang sleepily as I rolled around trying to pry the fur-ball off.

"Whaz goin on? Did we get captured again?" He asked sleepily. Katara crawled over to me and finally pried Momo off of me. I plopped onto the floor and breathed in relief. Looking over at Aang I realized that he was the cause of the Momo attack.

"It's nothing…I just had a bad dream. Go back to sleep." Aang said as he curled up on his side. Katara and I shared looks of concern as Sokka immediately lay back down.

"Don't have to tell me twice." He yawned. I rolled my eyes at him as Katara turned towards Aang.

"Are you alright Aang?" She asked gently.

"I'm okay." By the tone of his voice I could tell that he was definitely _not_ okay. Katara seemed to think so too.

"You seem to be having a lot of nightmares lately. Wanna tell me about it?" She questioned.

"I think I just need some rest." He sighed. Suddenly Sokka popped up with a smile.

"You guys wanna hear about my dream?" He asked happily. Katara gave him an unimpressed look as I smacked him upside the head.

"Read the atmosphere idiot…" I murmured. He rubbed his head as he glared at me.

"Fine, I didn't want to talk about it anyways." He stated as he lay back down. Katara gave one last look at Aang before following Sokka and heading back to sleep. I looked at Aang's prone form and sighed before standing up and pulling my sleeping bag over to his side. He looked over at me in surprise before looking back down with a frown.

"I don't want to talk about it right now Kai." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes as I sat up in my sleeping bag and leaned up against the rock behind us.

"Who said I was gonna ask about it?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He looked up at me in surprise.

"You're not? Then what are you doing over here?" He asked as he sat up on his elbow.

"Well, it doesn't seem like you're going to be able to sleep anymore, right?" I shrugged. He hesitated before nodding in affirmation. I nodded understandingly.

"It's almost dawn anyways, so you wanna hear some more stories? I doubt that I could go back to sleep either, not after getting a mouthful of Momo." I shivered. Aang smiled up at me brightly before sitting up beside me on the rock. I smiled back before holding my chin in thought.

"Hmm…oh, I didn't tell you about the time I broke my arm! I'm just gonna start off by saying that I'm so glad Sokka's watchtower was destroyed. Don't tell him that, he's very attached to that thing. Anyways, one time I was playing around in the watchtower. I could've sworn that there was something in the distance, so I leaned further out to try and see it better…"

* * *

The next morning we all got up to pack and get ready to leave. Aang climbed up on Appa and looked up at the sky.

"Look at those clear skies buddy! Should be some smooth flying." He stated as he pointed upwards. Katara flipped over our food bag and frowned as crumbs fell out. Momo immediately began to eat those. She looked up at Aang.

"Well, we better smoothly fly ourselves to a market cause we're out of food." She explained as she walked up on Appa. Sokka looked up with wide eyes.

"Guys, wait! This was in my dream. We shouldn't go to the market." He stated. We all looked over at him in confusion.

"What happened in your dream?" Katara asked.

"Food eats people!" He exclaimed with crazy eyes. I smacked my forehead as Katara and Aang simply looked unimpressed. Sokka pointed at Momo.

"Also, Momo could talk. You said some very unkind things." He crossed his arms. I looked over at Katara who was rolling her eyes.

"Can we _please_ leave him here? I swear that I'll take all the responsibility."

* * *

"Ah, it's good! Perfect I'm telling you!" We arrived at a market and Katara was currently looking at a melon. The saleslady seemed very eager to get rid of the melons. Katara shook the fruit and grimaced as the juices inside swished loudly.

"I don't know if I like that swishing noise." She stated as she held the melon further from her body.

"Swishing means it's ripe! It's the ripe juices swishing around!" The saleslady exclaimed as she walked around to Katara. Aang nodded in agreement.

"I think its true Katara. Swishing means it's ripe." He said with a smile. But, Katara put the melon back.

"I just realized that we're out of money anyways." She smiled politely. The saleslady groaned before taking back the basket of fruit that Sokka was carrying. As we were walking away, the lady kicked Sokka in the butt making me laugh behind him. We stood by the docks as Sokka rubbed his injured behind.

"Out of food and out of money! Now what do we do?" He questioned. I raised my hand.

"I could go around and pickpocket some people." I suggested with a shrug. Aang looked around unsurely.

"But, everyone here seems so poor. I don't think it would be right." He stated. I looked around and realized that he was right. Everyone around us seemed to be dressed in rags and they looked dirty. Looking back at the saleslady we just left I pulled out a small bag of money.

"I'll be right back then…" I rubbed my head sheepishly as I walked over behind the saleslady and snuck the small bag of money back into her pocket when she wasn't looking. Walking back over to the others I shrugged as Katara looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What? She was mean anyways." I mumbled as I crossed my arms. Sokka sighed.

"I would've been fine with taking that old hag's money. She would've deserved it after that kick." He glared.

"Why don't you just get a job Sokka?" Katara asked with a sigh. Sokka was about to retort when suddenly a voice cut him off.

"We shouldn't go out there! Please, the fish can wait! There's going to be a terrible storm!" Looking behind Sokka I saw an elderly woman yelling at what I assumed to be her husband who glared back.

"Aw, you're crazy it's a nice day! No clouds, no wind, no nothin so quit your nagging woman!" he retorted. I looked over at Aang who seemed uneasy.

"…Maybe we should find some shelter?" He suggested. Sokka looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you kidding? Shelter from what?" He asked as he looked up.

"My joints say there's gonna be a storm! A bad one." The elderly lady continued. The old man rolled his eyes.

"Well it's your joints against my brain." The man stated.

"Well I hope your brain can find someone else to haul that fish, cause I ain't comin!" the lady shouted.

"Then I'll find a new fish hauler and pay him double what you get! How do you like that?" The man smirked as he leaned forward. I was beginning to rethink the whole married thing. Suddenly Sokka ran up to the couple.

"I'll go!" He shouted. The man immediately turned towards him and pointed his finger.

"You're hired!" He announced. I raised my eyebrow.

"Seriously? Wow, that was easy." I muttered. Sokka looked back at Katara who was staring at him.

"What? You said get a job, and he's paying double!" He smiled. The old man turned towards Sokka with a raised eyebrow.

"Double? Who told you that nonsense?!" he asked with a frown. I groaned.

"Why do we always seem to find the crazies!"

* * *

"Sokka, maybe this isn't such a good idea. Look at the sky." Aang said uneasily as he stared at the grey clouds above us. I nodded.

"Yeah, it looks like there really is a big storm coming." I said as I crossed my arms. Sokka looked over at us.

"I said I was gonna do this job. I can't back out just because of some bad weather." He stated as he walked below deck. Suddenly the old lady appeared again.

"The boy with the tattoos has some sense. You should listen to him!" She yelled before walking off again. The old man suddenly stood up straight.

"Boy with tattoos?" He murmured before turning to look at Aang.

"Air bender tattoos…well I'll be a hog-monkey's uncle! You're the Avatar, ain't ya." He stated. Katara smiled brightly.

"That's right!" She nodded. The man suddenly glared at us.

"Well don't be so smiley about it! The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years! You turned your back on the world!" The man accused as he poked Aang. I glared at the man angrily. Old man or not, I was _this_ close to kicking his butt. Katara cut in between them angrily.

"Don't yell at him! Aang would never turn his back on anyone!" She defended. The man looked at Aang smugly.

"Oh, he wouldn't huh? Then I must've imagined the last hundred years of war and suffering!" he yelled. I looked at Aang as his eyes widened in horror. Katara, oblivious to Aang's situation, retorted.

"Aang is the bravest person I know! He has done nothing but help people ever since I met him! It's not his fault he disappeared, right Aang?!...Aang? What's wrong?" Her face morphed into one of concern as she turned and saw that Aang had backed up significantly with a look of guilt on his face. Suddenly he opened his glider and flew away. The old man stepped up.

"That's right, keep flying!" He yelled as Aang disappeared behind the mountains. Katara turned on the man.

"You're a horrible old man!" She shouted as she ran up on Appa and immediately flew off. I stared at her for a minute until realizing that she left me behind.

"Hey! Katara!" I shouted, but my sister was too far ahead. I groaned. _Now I'm gonna have to find some other way to find them!_

"Hey! They left without saying goodbye!" Sokka yelled. I looked over at him and rolled my eyes.

"Your friends aren't too polite, are they…" The old man muttered. I glared furiously at him.

"Shut up! Like you can say anything about being polite!" I yelled at him. I quickly ran up to the man and pushed him into the water. Sticking my tongue out at him, I turned around and ran back through the market. I looked around frantically for any sign of them, but I couldn't see anything. I asked around the market if anyone had seen a flying boy or a giant, flying, fluffy monster with a girl riding it. But, everybody just seemed to stare at me instead of answering. _Geez, they're useless! Oh, maybe Agni and Vayu can sense Aang!_ I stopped for a moment and concentrated.

" _Agni? Vayu?"_

" **Kai! How nice of you to call!"** I smiled as I heard Agni's voice in my head.

" _Do you have any idea where Aang is? I need to find him!"_

"We wouldn't know Kai. We only connect to you. Roku would know, but he's not here at the moment." Vayu explained. I groaned.

" _Dang it, I don't want to wander around with this storm coming!"_

" **Kai! Do you have a boyfriend yet? You are almost of that age! Where are your siblings? Oh, how's your trip going? I miss you!"** I winced as Agni's voice escalated in my head as I ran around, continuing my search.

" _Geez woman! Keep it down! And no I don't have a boyfriend! I'm 12!"_

" **Good, because then I would beat them up for trying to steal your innocence!"** I yelped as I accidently ran into a pole at Agni's statement.

" _Innocence? What is happening to this conversation?! I have no idea what you're even talking about!"_ Just as I was about to continue my search, I stopped and looked up as a drop of water hit my head. Rain began to fall from the storm clouds, and I could tell that it would only get worse.

"Gosh, of all the times for Katara to decide to ditch me!" I groaned. Suddenly I gasped as an arm grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"Nima?!" A beautiful woman, who looked to be in her thirties, with long brown hair yelled as she pulled me around. I barely held back a scream, but a little squeak still escaped my mouth. The woman's eyes widened in shock before she released me.

"I-I'm sorry…it's just that you look like someone I once knew." She frowned as she scanned my face. I barely saw her eyes widen again as she saw my necklace, but she quickly schooled her expression. She grabbed my arm again, but gently this time.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out in this weather sweetie. My house is right over there, do you want to come inside? I can make us some tea and snacks." She offered with a smile. I was about to turn her down, I mean she could be some sort of kidnapper! Plus, with my fire bending, I doubt that I would get sick. But, then she mentioned snacks and my common sense flew out the window.

"Kai, I don't think that going with this stranger is wise…"

" **No, Kai! What if she's a pedophile?!** "

" _Sh! She has snacks!"_

"…Kai, I believe that you are too simple minded." I quickly blocked their voices from my mind.

"Sure! Which house did you say was yours?"

* * *

"Would you like some more cookies?" The woman asked kindly as I continued to munch on a cookie. I was doing a great impression of a chipmunk. I smiled at her and nodded my head. She smiled back warmly before setting down another tray of cookies in front of me. I paused between bites.

"So, who are you? And, who's Nima?" I questioned before inhaling another cookie. The woman slipped her hand into her sleeve and pulled out a small, round tile and set it in front of me. I gasped as I saw that it had the White Lotus on it. I picked up the tile and pulled out my necklace to compare the two.

"My name is Avani, and Nima was the woman who gave me this tile. She and I became good friends during her stay here, and she said that if I ever got into any trouble then I could find a friend using this mark." She explained. I set the tile back down and pulled my necklace off and holding it up in front of her.

"Why did you show me it? And do you know about my necklace? You seemed to be shocked when you saw it." I asked as I handed her the necklace. She stared at it for a second before turning to me.

"Well, this necklace happens to be the one that she wore 12 years ago. She also happened to have a little baby girl with her." I gaped at Avani. This couldn't be a coincidence. A woman who had my necklace, who I look like, and who happened to have a baby with her 12 years ago…

"…D-did this woman happen to say the name of the baby?" I asked quietly. Avani nodded in affirmation.

"She said that the baby's name was Xiaolian." I promptly began smacking my forehead on the table.

"Agh! Stupid coincidences! First the sword, and now this?! The universe just loves messing with me, doesn't it!" I complained as a large red spot formed on my forehead. Avani was looking at me with wide eyes.

"Um…are you okay?" she asked gently as she stared at my head. I waved her off.

"Yup, just peachy." I groaned as I lay my head in my hands. I sighed before looking back up at the confused woman.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, my name's Kai. But, you might know me better as Xiaolian." I explained. Avani gasped before she buried my face in her chest with a hug.

"I knew it! You looked so much like her except for the eyes, and that necklace couldn't have been a coincidence!" She all but squealed while I was currently suffocating in her chest. _Can't breathe!_

She finally released me after a full minute of hugging and squealing. I gasped as I collapsed in my seat.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry! I just got so excited! Nima stopped contacting me about two months after she left this town. I was worried." Avani explained as she sat back in her chair. I waved it off as I took in deep breaths. After I had caught my breath Avani began to question me.

"Where's your mother now? Is she here with you?" She asked. I looked down at my hands.

"Well, no. I actually don't know where my mom is either, or if she's even alive…" I explained as I continued to look down. Avani gasped before her face fell and she also looked down.

"Oh…but, what happened to you? How are you here?" She looked back up in question. I leaned on my hand.

"I was found by the chief of the Southern Water tribe, Hakoda. He took me in and raised me as his own. And, the reason I'm here is the person that I was looking for earlier. Me and my siblings are actually traveling with the Avatar." I leaned back as I waited for her reaction. She stared at me before her eyes widened in recognition.

"The Avatar?! He's here?" She shouted disbelievingly. I smiled and nodded my head.

"Yup! I was looking for him and my sister earlier when I ran into you." I explained. She leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling with a large smile on her face.

"The Avatar…I don't believe it. Nima always told me that he would return. She always believed in him. And to think, her daughter is traveling with him." She sat up as she shook her head. I looked down at my hands as I thought about my mom. I hesitantly looked back up at Avani.

"Uh…about my mom. Do you think you could tell me a little about her?" I questioned hopefully. She looked at me with surprise before a smile formed on her face.

"Of course I will. Now, where do I start? Nima showed up at the docks 12 years ago in a small merchant ship. She had a small group of people accompanying her, and a small baby in her arms. She came here looking for refuge, said she was on the run from the Fire nation. At first, people didn't want anything to do with her. They said that if she stayed here that the Fire nation would follow. But, I just saw a mother in need. I took her and her family into my home and let them stay. After a couple weeks the rest of the locals also accepted her, it wasn't hard to do. Your mother was a very kind person. She was always calm and never turned her back on others. She was a wonderful friend." Avani stated as she stared off in the storm, lost in nostalgia. I smiled. _My mom sounds pretty cool…_ I mused as she continued.

"She stayed here for 6 months, and by then everyone loved her and her family. But, one day word arrived that the Fire nation had caught wind of her whereabouts and that they were on their way here. For the first time since I met her, your mother began to panic. She ran back to our home and began packing her things. The locals wanted to fight for her, nobody wanted her to leave. But, she told us that she didn't want anyone dying for her and that she had to leave. Up until that point none of us knew why she was on the run from the Fire nation, and what was going on." Avani's gaze locked onto me.

"Your mother finally told us what she was. She was an air bender." Avani stated. I gaped. _So I was right! My mother was Air nation!_

"When the Fire nation laid siege to the air temples some were able to escape through secret tunnels through the mountains. They dispersed over the land to try and make sure that none of them were ever found out. Nima's ancestors were the ones that hid in plain sight. They grew out their hair and changed their identities. They hid among Fire nation colonies and never stayed in one place for too long. The Fire nation never suspected a thing. Nima grew up hearing stories of her ancestors and how someday the Avatar would return and set things right." She stated as she turned towards me.

"She would've been thrilled to see you traveling with the Avatar." Avani smiled. I smiled back before I cocked my head in confusion.

"Wait, so why did she end up running?"

"Well, your mother ended up meeting a charming young man in the Fire nation. Her family was against it, but this young man had ideals and beliefs that were different from others in the Fire nation. He held resentment over what his nation has done and he believed in balance between the four nations. He and your mother became great friends and eventually they began dating. She didn't want to keep secrets from him so she told him of her origins. He was understandably shocked at first, but he became thrilled. He was relieved that the Air nomads lived on and he still loved your mother. He proposed not long after. They were happily married and even had a baby girl. They named her Xiaolian and your father crafted a necklace that symbolized both sides of your heritage." Avani reached over and pointed at my necklace. I pulled it off and flipped it over, looking at both sides.

"Your father was not a fire bender, but he was apparently from a prestigious line of fire benders. He was shunned from his family for his lack of bending, but he grew in fame because of his mastery in both making and using swords. He became one of the best swordsmen. Obviously people would pay attention to his life, which included his wife and child. When you were first born things seemed like nothing would go wrong, but a tragedy was soon to follow. Your mother's family had been exposed as air benders. Apparently one of your father's attendants had betrayed them to the Fire lord after your birth. Knowing that soldiers would come, your mother and her family prepared their escape. Your father planned to go with her, but your mother knew that he needed to stay. He would be branded as a traitor and he would also be tracked down and potentially killed by the Fire nation. The night before they planned to leave your mother and her family snuck off without your father. Nima left a note to him stating that she would always love him, but that he was needed there. She knew that he would be able to do more from the inside of the fire nation. So, she left without telling your father where she was going. To keep suspicion off of your father she told him to say that he had no idea about her heritage and that she had left before he heard anything about it. She and her family ran from the Fire nation after that and they ended up on our docks." Avani finished and took a deep breath as I began to process everything.

 _The air benders are still around, my mom was an air bender, my mom was here…Afterwards she must've headed towards the South Pole._

I looked up at Avani.

"Have you heard anything from my mom ever since she reached the South Pole?" I questioned as I searched her gaze. She shook her head.

"No, not after she arrived at the South Pole. The last thing that she sent me was a letter telling me about how she had met the chief of the Southern Water tribe." She stated. My eyes widened at that last sentence. _What?!_

"Wait…my mom _met_ Hakoda?!" I shouted as I stood up quickly and slammed my hands on the table. Avani jumped at my action before nodding.

"Well, yeah. Didn't he ever tell you? In her last letter she told me that she had met up with him and explained her situation." She stated. I sat down slowly, my eyes wide. _Hakoda met my mom, and he never told me?!_

"He told me that he found me abandoned on a boat and that there was no one else there! He never told me that he had met my mom!" I threw my hands up in the air. Avani's eyes widened before she raised her hands up in a placating manner.

"I'm sure he had his reasons." She insisted as she tried to calm me down. I huffed in my seat.

"He better…" I mumbled. _If my mom had explained everything to Hakoda, then he must've known all this from the very beginning. He had no right to hide this stuff from me! He knew that I was Fire nation and he knew who my mom was!_

"Next time I see him I'm gonna give him a piece of my mine." I stated as I crossed my arms. Avani was about to respond when suddenly the door burst open revealing the soaking form of the old lady from earlier. Avani quickly stood up and went over to her.

"What's wrong?!" She questioned as she pulled the woman inside and shut the door. The old lady shrugged her off before turning to me.

"I thought I recognized your annoying voice! Where's your sister and the Avatar kid?!" She questioned. I raised my eyebrow. _Rude much?_

"Uh, look lady, I'm not sure where they are either. Why do you want to know?" I asked. She merely pointed out into the storm. I looked at it over her shoulder and looked back at her with a shrug.

"Are you scared of lightning or something? The Avatar can't control the weather you know." I explained as I crossed my arms. The lady smacked her forehead before she whacked me over the head.

"Ow! Look, I don't know how you people do things here. But, where I'm from we don't ask for favors by insulting people and whacking them on the head!" I protested as I rubbed my throbbing head. The lady rolled her eyes before pointing out into the storm again.

"My husband is still out there!" she yelled. _Oh, so they are married…wait, wasn't Sokka with that old guy? Uh oh._

"Sokka! Come on grandma, we gotta go find the others!" I shouted as I jumped out of my chair. Avani stood up with me.

"I'll come with you!" She stated. I nodded before leading the other two outside and heading towards the mountains behind us. If I took off flying then this is where I would go. Rain soaked through my clothes as we reached the base of the mountains. I looked between the different mountains. _Which one are they on?_ Suddenly I felt as if something was knocking on my mind. Then, I remembered Agni and Vayu. I quickly opened my mind and let them in.

"Kai, I have received news from Roku on Aang's location. He is up in a cave. Follow the path to your right and it will lead you to him."

" _Thanks Vayu! You're the best!"_ Suddenly Agni's voice cut in.

" **Hey, what about me Kai?! I'm way better than Vayu!"**

" _Uh-."_

"You're too childish sometimes Agni. Calm down."

" **Kai likes me better, right Kai?!"**

" _I gotta go!"_ I quickly closed my mind again, ignoring Agni's protests. I motioned for Avani and the old lady to follow me as we ran up the path to the right as we ran through the storm. Rain pelted us and the wind wasn't helping either. I could've sworn that the wind almost blew me clear off the mountain multiple times.

We finally reached the top of the path. There was a level clearing of rock that led into the entrance of a cave. I could see the faint glow of firelight flickering off the walls. I looked behind me at Avani and the old lady and pointed at the cave. They nodded before we quickly ran to the entrance. Looking inside I could see Appa, Momo, Aang, and Katara sitting by the fire. The old lady pushed in front of me.

"Help! Oh please, help!" She shouted, rather dramatically might I add, as lightning struck behind us. Aang and Katara quickly looked up at the woman in shock. Katara quickly ran over and helped the lady inside. Avani and I followed behind.

"It's okay now, you're safe." Katara reassured as she pat the old lady's shoulder. The woman shook her head.

"But my husband isn't!" she announced loudly. Katara looked at her with wide eyes.

"What do you mean? Where's Sokka and Kai?!"

"I'm right here, but Sokka's gone. They haven't come back yet." I walked further into the room with Avani. Katara and Aang looked over at me, having just noticed that we were here.

"Kai? What are you doing here? I told you to stay with Sokka!" Katara yelled. I looked at her confused.

"Eh? You did?" I scratched my head as my sister groaned.

"Yes! I told you to stay with Sokka after I left with Aang!" She stated. I thought back. _Oh…maybe she did. I wasn't really paying attention._ I laughed nervously.

"Heh, oops. But that's not important right now! Sokka and the grumpy, old guy are stuck in this typhoon!" I pointed over my shoulder at the raging storm. Aang stood up with a determined look on his face.

"I'm going to find them." He announced. Katara nodded.

"I'm coming with you."

"Me too!" I raised my hand.

"I'm staying here!" The old lady announced as she sat down stubbornly, crossing her arms. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. _Isn't she the one that wanted to help them?_ I shook my head and turned to Avani.

"Avani, you should stay here with the lady." I stated. She nodded in agreement.

"Alright, but be careful Kai. This storm is getting bigger." I waved at her over my shoulder as we got on Appa and flew out into the storm. We flew as fast as we could, looking down below to try and find the fisherman's boat.

"Where are they?!" Katara shouted over the storm. We kept looking around, but suddenly I gasped as I looked in front of us.

"Aang, lookout!" I pulled on Aang's sleeve and pointed at the giant wave in front of us. It easily towered over us. Aang gasped.

"C'mon Appa!" Pulling up harshly on the reins, Aang led Appa upwards trying to clear the wave. The waved got closer and it looked like there was no way to clear it. Just as the wave was about to hit us Aang jumped up and rapidly spun his staff in front of us, clearing a path straight through the wave. I let out a sigh of relief as we reached the other side. Suddenly I spotted a little speck in the distance.

"The boat!" I shouted out as I recognized the little figure. Aang quickly led us towards the vessel. We flew right over it and Aang jumped down onto the boat. Katara shouted out in warning as the mast suddenly broke and began falling towards Aang, Sokka, and the old guy. Aang gasped, but he quickly bent three spouts of water at the falling beam making it split in half and land safely on either side of them.

Aang grabbed a rope and tied it around Sokka and the old man. He grabbed the other end and jumped back onto Appa.

"Hang onto the rope!" He shouted down to them. They quickly tightened their grips on the rope as Appa swung his head to the side, pulling the two up and onto his back. They looked at each other before smiling after landing.

Suddenly we all turned around as a giant wave formed behind us. It was three times the size of the last one so there was no way that Aang could break through. Terror gripped me as it closed in on us. I shouted out as Appa was drawn into the wave by his tail, taking all of us with him. We all crashed under the water roughly. I felt my breath leave me from the impact of the water, and darkness covered my vision. As I lost consciousness the last thoughts that I had were, _I really hate water…_

* * *

"Kai! Wake up!" I winced as a voice shouted into my ear as I began to wake up. I blinked my eyes as the light from the sky above us blinded me. I could see the blurry image of my family above me. Slowly sitting up I rubbed my eyes.

"Did we all die?" I questioned as I looked around. Katara giggled as Sokka slapped his forehead.

"No Kai, we're all okay." Aang smiled at me. I smiled back as I stretched my arms above my head.

"Oh good. I at least want to live until I'm 13 years old." I announced sleepily. Aang nodded in agreement as Appa landed back at the entrance of the cave. We all dismounted and walked through the entrance.

"You're alive!" The elderly lady quickly ran and hugged her husband in relief, Avani slowly walking behind her. The lady suddenly took an emotional 180 as she pulled back and glared at her husband.

"You owe this boy an apology!" She demanded as she pointed at Aang. The old fisherman rolled his eyes.

"He doesn't have to apologize." Aang stated as he walked up to the two. The fisherman rubbed his beard in thought.

"Hm…how bout I give him a free fish and we call it even?" He suggested. I rolled my eyes. _How sincere…_

"Actually, I don't eat meat." Aang announced with a smile. The old man turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Fish ain't meat." I then decided that this man was uneducated enough for me to forgive him for what he said earlier. Avani giggled from beside me. Sokka walked up to the old man and held out his hand.

"Seriously, you're still gonna pay me, right?" He asked. The man just threw a fish into my brother's hand, making him shriek like a little girl. Aang walked over to Katara and I could tell that they were about to have a heart to heart so I walked a little further away to give them privacy. I turned around as I felt a hand on my shoulder. Avani smiled down at me.

"Your mother would truly be proud of the young lady that you have become." She stated warmly. I smiled up at her before looking out of the cave.

"I just wish that I could've met her. She sounds like a pretty cool person." I sighed. Avani stayed quiet beside me. I glanced at her from over my shoulder. Her brow was furrowed in deep thought as she looked intently out the cave.

"…What is it?" I questioned as she stayed silent. She looked back down at me, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Kai, your mother was a very strong woman. I have to believe that she's still out there somewhere. There's no way that she would have died like that. I bet that she's out there, perhaps she's wishing to see you again as well." Avani smiled at me at the thought.

"That would be nice…I'll have to be on the lookout for her. I'm going to believe she's out there somewhere. Even if I never find her, it's still nice to hope." I turned to Avani with a smile. She pulled me in for a hug.

"You be careful out there. Your mother would have my head if something happened to you." She squeezed me tightly. I hugged back.

"I will, and don't worry. If I find my mom, you'll be the first person I tell." I stated as I pulled back from the hug. She ruffled my hair and laughed as I smacked her hand away with a glare. The old fisherman's voice brought our attention back to the rest of the group.

"Well, if you hadn't been here today, then I guess I wouldn't be here either. I thank you Avatar." The old man walked up to Aang and patted his shoulder with a smile. I smirked.

"Oh? Is the mean old fisherman _actually_ apologizing?" I snickered. The old man turned to me with a glare.

"I ain't givin you one! You're the one that pushed me into the water!" He pointed an accusing finger at me as I stuck my tongue out at him. Katara walked over to me with a glare.

"Kai! Even though he said mean stuff, you don't go pushing people into the harbor!" She smacked my head. I groaned as I rubbed my injured head. _With all these people smacking me it's a wonder I don't have a concussion by now…_

"Fine, you're right. I shouldn't go around pushing the elderly into the water. But, he's old anyways! I heard that drowning is the least painful way to go." I stated matter-of-factly. Everyone stared at me before Sokka smacked his forehead.

"Sometimes I worry about you Kai…" He mumbled. I shrugged.

"You have it easy. I worry about you all the time." I smirked as he began protesting. Suddenly he stopped shouting and he put his hand up to his ear.

"Do you hear that? It stopped raining." He smiled as he pointed to the mouth of the cave. We all walked out of the cave and looked at the beautiful scenery around us. It was so peaceful. But, the moment was broken as Appa decided to shake his fur right next to us, spraying us with water.

"Appa!"

"Agh! It got in my mouth!"

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Again, sorry for the delay! The next chapter will be up much sooner than this one. Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Blue Spirit

**Chapter 12: The Blue Spirit  
**

 **Hey guys! I am so sorry for such a long delay in the updates! I was in a slight writer's block and I also found some ideas for new fanfictions. A mixture of summer homework, music lessons, writer's block, and reading fanfiction made me plain lazy when it came to writing my own fanfiction… -_- so sorry. Anyways I'll try harder! Here's the 12** **th** **chapter of Legend of Kai! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Okay so here's some news!** **I'm planning a new fanfiction called 'Life with Kai'. It'll basically be one shots featuring Kai in different situations. This is basically my apology to you guys for all the delays that I've had, so I want you guys to give me the prompts! PM me your ideas for different one shots and I'll post it. I might not get to all of them for a while depending on how many I get, but I will eventually write them all. Thanks for your patience with me!**

 **Also I want to thank all my reviewers for their feedback! I'm glad that you all are enjoying the story! For those of you wondering about Avani don't worry. She will make another appearance, but not for a while. And for those that are wondering about Kai's dad, I'm not going to disagree or agree with any guesses so you'll just have to wait for the big reveal!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Kai  
**

* * *

"Here, this should bring your fever down." Katara placed a wet cloth on Sokka's forehead. He was shaking with sweat covering his entire body. He lay in a sleeping bag as I lit a fire nearby for warmth. We were currently staying in some old ruins up in the mountains.

"You know what I love about Appa the most? His sense of humor." Sokka stated drowsily as he looked at the bison that he was lying on. I looked at him weirdly.

"Yeesh…and here I thought he couldn't get any weirder." I mumbled as I looked at my sick brother. Katara just smiled at him.

"That's nice. I'll tell him." She said as Appa groaned. Sokka broke out laughing.

"Ahaha! Classic Appa…" He mumbled. Aang and I walked over to them.

"How's Sokka doing?" Aang asked. Katara shook her head as she looked at our brother in concern.

"Not good, being out in that storm really did a number on him." We looked over at Sokka who was sniffling and looking around crazily as he shivered, sweat dripping off of his face. I took a step back. _Ew…_

"Uh, I couldn't find any gingerroot for the tea, but I did find a map." Aang stated as he pulled out the piece of parchment from behind his back.

"There's an herbalist's institute over on the top of that mountain. We could probably find a cure for Sokka there." He explained as he pointed at a spot on the map.

"Aang, he's in no condition to travel. Sokka just needs a little bit of rest. I'm sure he'll be better by tomorrow-* _Cough_ *" Katara stopped talking as she began to cough. Aang and I looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Not you too." Aang groaned.

"Having one hallucinating sibling is enough, but two?!" I added as I threw my hands into the air. Katara waved us off.

"Relax, it was just a little cough. I'm fine-* _Cough*_ " She was cut off by another coughing fit making me and Aang flinch back. When she was done she let out a groan as she slouched.

"That's how Sokka started yesterday! Now look at him, he thinks he's an earth bender!" Aang yelled as we all looked over at my brother.

"Take that you rock…" Sokka sat up and punched thin air lazily.

"He wishes he was as cool as us benders." I snorted. Aang ignored me.

"A few more hours and you'll be talking nonsense too. I'm going to find some medicine." He stated as he stood up with his staff. I stood up with him.

"I'm coming too." I stated. He looked over at me and shook his head.

"No, Kai. You should stay here to watch over Sokka and Katara." He said as he walked closer to the balcony. I groaned.

"But that's boring! We wouldn't be gone for long anyways." I insisted. He looked back at my siblings before turning towards me with a raised eyebrow.

"Katara would be too sick to look after them both, would you really trust Sokka to look after himself?" He questioned as he pointed back at my incapacitated brother.

"Momo you have to share! That looks tasty!" Sokka was currently trying to get Momo to share his meal with him. Momo's meal happened to be a very large insect.

"…Good point." I sighed. If I left them here alone I'm pretty sure that Sokka would somehow get poisoned, one way or another.

"Come back soon Aang. You can't leave me here with these sick people for too long." I stated as he smiled at me sympathetically before opening his glider. Suddenly Lightening flashed right in front of us making me flinch. Aang looked at his glider hesitantly before closing it.

"Uh…maybe it'd be safer if I went on foot." He said as he set the staff aside. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, no offense but I think you shouldn't go testing your Avatar strength by flying out into a lightning storm." I added as he glanced at my siblings.

"Take care of them." Aang stated as he jumped over the edge of the ruins to the ground below. He took off at top speeds, running like the wind. Turning back to the others I saw that Sokka had indeed gotten the bug from Momo. I sighed as I rubbed my temples.

"I think I'll just let him eat the bug…"

* * *

"Kai."

"…"

"Kai?"

"…"

"Kai?!"

"…"

"KAI?!"

"WHAT SOKKA?!"

"Can you tell me a bedtime story?" Sokka asked as he turned towards me in his sleeping bag. My eye twitched as I looked at him.

"There once was a water tribe boy who kept annoying his sister. One day he disappeared, never to be seen again. The end." I stated as I glowered at him. Aang had been gone for only a minute now and Sokka was just getting worse and worse.

"That's sad, tell me a good story!" Sokka whined like the 2 year old that he is. I promptly ignored him as I grabbed a blanket from Appa's saddle and covered Katara as she lay on the bison. She shot me a grateful smile as she pulled the blanket around her snugly.

"Why are you so nice to Katara and not me?" My brother interjected, complaining again.

"Because she's not annoying…most of the time." I muttered the second part under my breath.

"It's not fair! I want to be your favorite sibling!" He whined as tears poured down his face. _Note to self: Sokka hallucinates and turns into a whiny kid when he's sick._ I looked down at Katara and realized that she was smirking at the whole thing. Katara's very competitive when it comes to my brother, mostly because he's a sexist, pig-headed, annoying…where was I going with this?

"Sorry Sokka, but Kai likes me better." Katara stated smugly as she turned to face him. _Huh, looks like Katara gets more smug about stuff when she's sick. I think that they switched personalities…_

"I never said that I had a-."

"Not true!" Sokka interrupted me as he looked at Katara with his tearful face. He and Katara began going back and forth about who was my favorite, occasionally interrupting themselves with coughs.

" **No, I'm Kai's favorite!"**

" _Agni?!"_

"Agni, it's quite rude just to invade Kai's head like this."

" _Vayu?! You hypocritical-!"_

" **You're just jealous because she likes me more!"**

"You are delusional."

" _Both of you get out of my head!"_ I cut off the link between the spirits and I as they continued to banter. Well, more like Agni states something random and Vayu just tries to correct her. I rubbed my temples as I looked back at my siblings who had somehow gotten on the topic of who was Appa's favorite.

"I cleaned his feet!" Sokka yelled, still crying might I add.

"I pet him all the time." Katara countered smugly. I suddenly placed a hand over both their mouths and pushed them away from each other.

"Ladies, ladies you're both beautiful. Can you let it go now?" I asked as I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. Katara's smugness seemed to fade as she coughed some more and lay down on Appa. Sokka snuggled back into his sleeping bag as I sighed in relief. Suddenly Momo flew back into the room carrying…a tiara? He flew over and placed it on Sokka's head.

"…I'm a pretty princess."

"Ugh, kill me now."

* * *

"Kai, please. Water." Sokka muttered pathetically with a dry voice. Hearing Katara cough I realized that she needed some too. Normally I would just tell my brother to get it himself, but he and my sister look like they're in pain. Contrary to how I act sometimes (…okay, most times) I do care about my siblings. I'm never telling Sokka that, it'd only inflate his ego.

I walked over to Katara's water skin and pulled the leather strap over my head.

"I'll be back in a little bit. There has to be some sort of river running through the valley." I stated as I also grabbed my sword before walking over to the edge of the balcony.

"Be careful Kai…" Katara murmured as she looked over at me. I smiled at her and gave a thumbs-up before jumping off the edge towards the ground below. I shot fire jets out of my hands as I got closer to the ground, slowing my fall so that I could land softly. Looking out into the distance I found where the valley was between two mountains. I groaned as I saw how far it was.

"I really wish that I could run as fast as Aang…"

* * *

"Ugh! Finally!" I shouted out in relief as I found a small swampy area at the bottom of the valley. The sun was beginning to set by the time I arrived. The water probably wasn't clean but I could boil it later. Katara could also bend out all the gunky stuff. Bending down to fill the water skin, a flash of color over on a log caught my eye. Lifting my head in confusion I walked over to it to get a better look. It was an arrow. But, what really caught my eye was what the arrow had pinned to the log. It was a ripped piece of familiar orange cloth.

"Aang…" I took the cloth in my hand. Who else wore this shade of orange? It was an air nation color. Something had happened to Aang, and it had to do with someone shooting arrows at him. I grabbed the arrow and pulled its shaft out of the log to look at it. It had red feathers on it symbolizing the fire nation.

"Great, just what we needed! More people after us and these ones shoot arrows!" I groaned as I dropped the arrow into the water. I began looking around the swamp for any signs of where they went. Arrows littered the fields around me and luckily enough there were fresh footprints in the mud. I quickly ran out of the water and began to follow the tracks.

" _Agni, Vayu! Do you guys know where Aang went?!"_ I opened up our connection.

" **Hah! She said my name first! I'm the favorite!"**

"I do not believe that now is the time for such childish squabbles Agni. Please, be serious."

" **Fiiinnneee…no fun."**

" _Uh, hello? Any info on Aang?"_

" **Not really, but Roku was throwing a hissy fit earlier about Aang being imprisoned somewhere…I dunno."**

"I believe that he said that Aang was being held inside of a fire nation stronghold to the east nearby. You might be able to sneak in and find him."

" _Thanks guys."_

" **Talk to us soon Kai, and-!"** I quickly blocked off the connection before Agni could begin ranting. The footprints that I was following ended at the tree line, but thanks to Vayu I knew that I just had to head east. Using the sun to find the direction, I sped off.

 _Hold on Aang! I'm coming to save you from a heavily guarded fire nation stronghold all by myself; with absolutely no idea how to get in…it'll be great!_

* * *

It got dark as the sun fully set in the horizon. The darkness made it harder to see in front of me, but it was also a big help. In the distance I could make out lights. I followed the light and it led me to a huge, walled off stronghold. I gulped audibly as I hid in the bushes and stared at the gates.

"Now how to get in…" I mumbled as I watched the guards at the front. Suddenly I squeaked as I felt the cold metal of swords touching my throat. I felt the body of someone behind me as they held me against them.

"Whoa! Whoa! Not cool man!" I whisper/yelled at the man (At least I think it's a guy) behind me. I felt their body stiffen at the sound of my voice before the swords were pulled away from my neck and a hand grabbed my shoulder, turning me around. I almost squeaked again as I came face to face with a very scary mask. The person was dressed in a completely black outfit with a blue mask. The mask had a gaping mouth with sharp teeth, white horn-like things coming out of the side, and white rings surrounding the holes for the eyes.

The man seemed to analyze me for a moment before he abruptly pointed at the fire nation stronghold. I cocked my head in confusion at the stranger. He huffed in annoyance before pointing more insistently and drawing a question mark in the dirt.

"Uh…you want to know if I'm going in there?" I asked unsurely. He nodded in affirmation.

"Oh, well yeah. I'm guessing you're not one of the bad guys since you haven't turned me in or anything, and you're mask is blue. So, I guess I can tell you what I'm doing. I have to save my friend. He was captured by some archers and I need to go in there to save him." I explained to the stranger. He seemed to stare at me for even longer before he nodded and grabbed my arm. I began to protest as he started to drag me off, but he merely put his finger in front of his mouth to shush me. He led us over to the side of a road that led to the front gates before pointing at an incoming carriage further down the road. I stared at him in surprise.

"You're coming too?" he merely nodded silently in response. I sighed in relief. _Oh good, at least one of us knows what we're doing._ He tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention. He suddenly pulled out another mask and a black cloak from who knows where. I stared at the objects before looking up at him.

"You just carry around another mask and cloak for no reason?" I questioned as I smirked at the man. Obviously I couldn't see his face, but I imagined that he was scowling. He forcefully shoved the objects into my arms before pointing at my face. I rolled my eyes before nodding. I took my sword off before tying the cloak around my neck and flipping the hood up to cover my head. I strapped on my mask before putting the sword back on. _Ugh, how does he breathe in these things?!_

I was broken out of my thoughts as the man pulled me down the side of the road until we were behind the carriage. He let go of my arm and pointed at me, then my eyes, and them at himself. I'm guessing that he wants me to watch him and do what he does. He quickly ran up to the carriage before diving under the thing on his knees. I could see him quickly reach his arms out, connecting to either side of the carriage, before lifting both his legs up in a little hop and connecting them too. He was now completely hidden under the carriage. I stared in disbelief. _He expects me to do that? And not die by getting run over?_ _Nope, forget that!_

Instead of going under the carriage I climbed into the back with all the supplies. Looking for a good place to hide I saw a large box in the back. Opening it up, I saw that it was filled with clothes and armor. I grabbed the objects out of the box before dumping it all out the back. _Eh, who needs clothes anyways?_ I climbed into the box and pulled the cover over my head, thanking my tiny body for once. The carriage traveled for a couple more minutes.

"Halt!" I heard a deep voice yell from outside. Footsteps approached the carriage and I could vaguely see firelight through the cracks of the box. I held my breath as I heard the man shift through some of the contents of the carriage. _Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't see me…_ The soldier's footprints approached the box. _Please spirits; I'll do anything as long as he doesn't look inside this box!_

I sighed in relief as I heard the footprints begin to leave. I thought about the promise I had just essentially made to the spirits, which Agni could abuse. _You know, when I said I'd do anything I didn't mean_ _ **anything.**_

"What's in those boxes?" I heard a voice outside as the soldier returned and began to approach the boxes in the back, one of which I was hiding in. _Okay, okay! I'll do anything!_ I held my breath as he opened up the box right in front of me.

"Just armor and clothes…nothing looks out of order, sir." The man finally left the carriage and I collapsed in relief.

" **I'll hold you to your promise Kai!"** I could practically hear Agni's maniacal laugh in the background before I shivered and shook my head. Sometimes having a spirit in your head was not very fun. I hoped that my partner in crime hadn't gotten caught. The footsteps outside paused for a moment before continuing on.

"You're all clear!" I head the soldier say before the carriage moved again. Hearing someone in the carriage I quietly lifted the box. I relaxed as I realized that it was just the masked dude. He was facing me and I could practically feel the glare burning into my face.

"What? I'm not sharing my box with you." I narrowed my eyes at him. For some reason I got the feeling that he just rolled his eyes at me.

* * *

Once we were let through the gates, me and the masked dude stayed in the carriage until it had stopped near some soldiers. I quickly climbed out of the box and had to bite my tongue to hold back a squeak as the dude grabbed my arm and pulled me out the back. We hid behind boxes full of supplies until sneaking through a door into the walls.

The door led to a bunch of stairs. We quietly followed the stairs upwards until they lead us out onto the top of the wall. Once we got to the top I was able to hear a loud voice as a man gave some sort of speech.

"-today, only one thing has stood in our path to victory, the Avatar! I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!" I glared at the man standing on a balcony at the top of the tower as a cheer rang throughout the courtyard. He was holding Aang captive here, but not for long. The masked man and I quietly snuck behind the guards on the wall, staying in the shadows as we neared the main tower where I'm guessing was where Aang was being held. _That guy looks like a monkey…_ I mused as I took another glance at the guy who was making the speech.

"This is the year that Sozin's comet returns to grant us its power! This is the year that we break through the walls of Ba Sing Se and burn the city to the ground!" More cheers rang out as the man continued to talk. My partner threw a line of rope down the wall once we reached the backside of the base. He attached it to a pole before carefully maneuvering his way down. Once he was on the ground, I grabbed a hold of the rope and followed suit.

We quickly ran over and jumped down into some kind of waterway system beneath the base. I kinda thought it was weird that this masked dude knew so much about this place, but I brushed it off. It was useful anyways. We slipped through some metal bars as we continued on underneath the tower. I groaned as we waded through the water. _I really hope that this isn't some kind of sewage system…_

* * *

My partner put his finger up in front of his face to signal for absolute quiet as we walked down the metal hallway. I was thinking about how much the people in the fire nation love the color red as I stared at all the red lights filling the hallways. _Did all the different nations just choose colors based on their element and stick with it? What if someone in the fire nation liked the color blue? What then?_

I was broken out of my thoughts as a soldier walked around the corner and turned, coming face to face with my masked friend. There was a second of shocked silence before his eyes widened and he opened his mouth to call out. He didn't get the chance to. The masked dude ( _You know what, I'm gonna call him Blue. I've always liked the color blue_ ) swept his leg out, tripping the soldier and making him fall, before swiftly taking out one of his swords and using the hilt to knock the guy out. I stared at the scene in front of me before quietly clapping.

"Nice!" I whisper/cheered as I smiled behind my mask. Blue ignored me as he went down the hallway and turned down another short hallway to the right. Once we were at the end of the hallway we peeked out and saw four guards to our left guarding a large metal door. I'm guessing that Aang was in there. Blue drew his swords and was about to charge, but stopped as I held up a hand to his chest.

"Wait, I've got an idea." I quickly ran back to where the last soldier was and pulled off his helmet, bringing it back to where I was. I took the helmet in my hand and tossed it out into the hallway, bouncing it off the wall so that it landed in front of the four guards. I smiled as I saw one of the guards begin walking our way to investigate.

We hid at the end of the small hallway and when we heard him turn around the corner we went on the attack. We both charged at him, our weapons drawn. He fired out a burst of flame, but we both ducked under it. Blue swept his legs out from under him while I slammed the handle of my sword into his head, knocking him out. Blue pulled out some wire from his pocket and tied the man up to the ceiling quickly.

After a minute or two we heard a couple more guards coming over. Blue put me on his back before somehow getting up to the ceiling and hiding there as the soldiers entered the hallway. Once they noticed their tied up friend they walked over to him with wide eyes. When they were right below us, Blue immediately tossed me off his back at one of them while he jumped on the other. I squeaked in surprise before angling myself and tackling the guy to the right.

We hit the floor hard and he groaned in pain. I was okay though, cause I had a pillow. Before the man could get up, Blue tied him up just like he did with the other two. We ran charging out of the hallway, my partner throwing a knife in front of us to knock a horn out of the last guard's hands. He glared at us before shooting a wave of fire at us. I ducked down while Blue pulled out a small bucket full of water and tossed the water at the flames. _Seriously, does he carry everything? He has the most random stuff in his pockets…_

I tackled the soldier while Blue kicked his head. The poor man was down in seconds. Grabbing a key from the guard, we managed to get the metal door open. We walked inside and I smiled behind my mask as I saw Aang. He was shacked to two pillars on either side of him. I was about to go up to him, but Blue held me back. He began swinging his swords around as he approached Aang who began screaming like a little girl. I wasn't worried. I doubted that Blue would've helped me get in just to kill Aang.

Aang closed his eyes as my partner swung his swords a final time. He cautiously opened his eyes again when he saw that he was still unharmed. Looking at his wrists he saw that he had been cut free. After cutting the cuffs off of Aang, Blue walked back towards the door.

"What's going on? Who are you? Are you here to rescue me?" Aang called out as he stood there in surprise. I giggled and lifted my mask up a little bit.

"Yup! Hi Aang!" I waved with a smile. His eyes widened comically as he recognized my face.

"What?! KAI?!" He shouted in surprise. I nodded before walking over and pulling Aang over to the door.

"Yeah, but I'm being all secret like so don't say my name outside of this door." I stated as pulled down my mask again. Aang was still really confused.

"Wait, who's the other guy?" He asked as he pointed at Blue. I shrugged.

"Dunno, but I've been calling him Blue. He helped me get in here." I explained with a smile. Aang stared at me.

"You don't know him, and you went with him, not knowing why he's here?" I nodded in affirmation before pushing him out the door.

"Be grateful, we're saving your sorry butt."

* * *

Once we were out of the room we began walking down the hallway quickly. I was behind Aang, and Blue was in the front. I bumped into Aang as he stopped abruptly.

"My frogs, wait! Come back and stop thawing out!" He shouted as he picked up a half frozen frog that was crawling away. I stared at him weirdly. _Okayyy…_

Blue noticed him pause and quickly walked over to us before grabbing Aang by his shirt and pulling him away.

"Wait! My friends need to suck on those frogs!"

"Aang, are you sick too?"

* * *

We snuck back outside of the tower using the underground waterway again. We stayed closed to the walls as soldiers walked over head. Once we got to the end, Blue peeked his head out to check the area before motioning for us to climb out. We all pulled ourselves out of the water and back up onto the ground before running back over to the rope on the wall. Aang began climbing first with Blue and I below him. Suddenly a loud ringing noise filled the air. My eyes widened. _I think that's the alarm. Great._

"Up there! On the wall!" A random guy yelled out as he pointed at us. Someone appeared above us and cut the rope, making us fall. Aang quickly formed an air sphere around us, protecting us before we hit the ground. Once we were all down safely, Blue pointed over to the gates in the wall to our right. We immediately ran towards it.

"The Avatar has escaped! Close all the gates immediately!" I heard the monkey guy shout again as soldiers began running around.

"Stay close to me!" Aang yelled out as he ran to the front of the group. A line of soldiers had gathered in front of the closing gates, blocking us off. Aang cleared them with a burst of air before he continued to run towards the gates. We were about to follow, but soldiers surrounded us from all directions quickly. Blue and I were back to back as we drew our swords and began blocking all the blows that came our way.

Suddenly the soldiers were all knocked away from us as Aang ran around with a stick. He ran up to us and then swung his staff upwards, launching us up and onto the wall. Aang jumped up to join us before launching me again, this sending me to the second wall. He could launch me because I was lighter, but not Blue. He held onto Blue with his legs before he began twirling his staff overhead at a fast pace, lifting them off of the ground. They began flying over to join me on the wall, but I could see that Aang was having trouble.

I jumped back as a spear stabbed where I had just been standing. Soldiers surrounded me and I began using me sword to protect myself. I didn't want to reveal myself as a fire bender, but this was getting difficult. Suddenly all the attention was drawn to Aang and Blue as they crash landed right in front of me. Everyone stared at them for a second before the attack continued. Aang air bending everyone off of the left side while Blue and I fought with the soldiers on the right.

Soldiers began running up the walls using ladder things to get to us. Blue began pushing people off while Aang air bended a whole group of people off the ladders.

"Here take this!" Aang yelled as he handed Blue and I a ladder each. We hefted them onto our shoulders as Aang jumped on the last remaining ladder and pushed off the wall.

"Jump on!" He shouted. We immediately jumped onto him, doing some sort of human totem pole with Aang on the bottom, Blue on his back, and me on Blue's back. We used the ladders as giant walking sticks.

"Give me the next one!" I handed Aang my ladder as we went up on the second one. We almost had reached the wall, but someone had lit the ladder on fire, making us jump off. I tried to grab onto the wall, but we all ended up falling to the ground again. Immediately soldiers shot streams of fire at us. I was about to step in, but Aang held me back and created a dome of air around us blocking the fire.

"Hold your fire! The Avatar must be captured alive!" The monkey general called out as he walked up to our group. Suddenly Blue put his swords around Aang's neck, not unlike what he did to me earlier. I was about to pull him off, but I realized what he was doing. The monkey dude needed Aang alive, so he wouldn't risk him getting hurt. I wasn't going to do anything, but the minute Blue's wrist even twitches, I'm gonna set a fire under his butt.

Blue and the monkey both stared each other down, before the monkey gave in. "Open the gates." He growled out.

"Admiral, what are you doing?" Another monkey dude, but this one was more chubby. _Seriously! What's with the fire nation and those funky sideburns? Do they find that cool? The big ears don't help either._

"Let them out, now!" the monkey admiral shouted in command. The gated opened behind us and we began carefully walking through. Blue watching the admiral and me watching Blue. Aang just looked really freaked out.

We had gotten a good distance away from the walls, and I could see Blue's grip on Aang relaxing. Suddenly I saw a flash in the distance and Blue was hit, sending him flying to the ground. Aang and I gasped before he used his air bending to create a cloud of dirt for us. I ran over to Blue and put my fingers on his neck.

I sighed in relief once I felt a steady heartbeat. He was just knocked out. Aang walked over and kneeled next to Blue. He grabbed the mask and lifted it up. We both gasped in shock. It was Zuko. Blue was Zuko, the guy who was hunting us down. Aang backed up in horror while I just stared at his face. _But, this doesn't make sense…_

Our attention was drawn to the sound of approaching footsteps. Aang looked between Zuko and the soldiers in the distance before locking eyes with me. I nodded before pulling Zuko's arm over my shoulder. Aang grabbed the other side as we ran off into the distance.

* * *

We sat watch over Zuko until he finally began to wake up. He groaned as he looked around and took in his surroundings. Aang was sitting on a large tree root while I was leaning on the rock next to Zuko.

"You know what the worst thing about being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we used to get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had and he was from the fire nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could've been friends too?" Aang smiled over At Zuko as he stared back at him. I just stood there, watching the conversation.

Suddenly Aang jumped as Zuko shot a blast of fire at him with a shout. Aang jumped up into the trees before glancing down at me, a question in his eyes. I shook my head before mouthing 'wait' and pointing a bit further down the trees. He nodded before jumping off.

Zuko turned to me with a glare. I had pulled off the mask and cloak that he gave me and I held it out to him. He looked at it for a second before turning away.

"Keep it, I don't want them anymore." He grumbled out. I nodded even though he couldn't see. Staring at him for a second, I crossed my arms.

"Why didn't you just get rid of me while you had the chance? You knew that I wouldn't just let you take Aang after we saved him, so why would you risk it?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow. Zuko didn't respond at first. I thought he would just shoot fire at me like Aang, but I was surprised when he answered.

"It's not like you would've just left and despite what people might think, I don't want blood on my hands. You couldn't have stopped me from taking the Avatar anyways, I'm stronger than you. Now leave before I prove it." He growled out as he began walking away. I stared at his retreating back. Maybe, deep inside, Zuko was a decent person.

With that thought I walked in the opposite direction and went to meet up with Aang.

* * *

Aang and I had walked back to the valley in silence. We stopped by the swamp to pick up some water and frogs. I looked at Aang in confusion as he stuck a few in his shirt. He noticed my look and explained that they were for Katara and Sokka. I nodded before we took off again. We arrived back at the ruins and Aang air bended us up. I noticed that it had been a full day since we left.

Aang walked up to my siblings as I began to boil the water over a fire. I used some cloth to strain some of the dirt out of the water and Katara could do better later.

"Here, suck on these. They'll make you feel better." Aang said as he placed a frog in their mouths. If it were a different time I would've laughed at how funny they looked. I looked around the room at all the junk, wondering where all this stuff came from.

"Hey Aang, how waz your twip? Did you make any new fwiends?" Sokka asked as he sucked on his frog. Aang plopped down on Appa's tail before curling up.

"No, I don't think I did." He sighed. I looked over at him, knowing that he was thinking about Zuko.

"How bout you Kai? You took weally long to gwab some wata." Sokka stated as he snuggled down into Appa more. I thought about it before shrugging.

"You know what they say; today's enemy may be tomorrow's friend."

* * *

I had almost fallen asleep when I heard Sokka talking again.

"Mmm, this is tasty!" He stated. A croak filled the air and I saw his eyebrow twitch as he looked down at the crawling legs that were sticking out of his mouth. He spit out the frog in horror as Katara's eye widened and she opened her mouth. The frog stood in her mouth before jumping out. They both began spitting comically and Sokka even began rubbing his tongue on Appa's leg as if that would make it better.

I smiled at the scene. After everything that happened today, this all made up for it. And with the serious mood around Aang and I, I almost didn't laugh. Almost.

* * *

 **That's a wrap on chapter 12! I want to thank you guys again for your patience. I'm so sorry for the month delay! I'm hoping to be able to post a new chapter every week from now on unless I have a valid excuse. Next chapter will be the Fortuneteller!**


	13. Chapter 13: The Fortuneteller

**Chapter 13: The Fortuneteller  
**

 **Hey guys! I don't know about you guys, but I just started school again this week and I am not looking forward to the months full of homework, but don't worry! I'm making sure to work on my fanfiction. I almost made the deadline for Saturday, so close! Only a couple hours off. I'll work on getting the chapters in** _ **on**_ **Saturday next week. Anyways, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy! –Cleo  
**

* * *

"Look!" I looked over at the lake as Katara suddenly stood. We were camped at the edge of a lake and were sitting around. There was a fish jumping in and out of the water. Sokka stood up with wide eyes and I swear the fish smirked at us.

"He's taunting us! I swear, you're so gonna be dinner!" He yelled as he ran to grab his fishing pole. I rolled my eyes. Only Sokka would pick a fight with a fish. My bet's on the fish. He ran back out with the pole and flung it out repeatedly, only for nothing to happen. Sokka looked back down at his fishing pole in confusion.

"Hey, where's the fishing line?" Aang looked up guiltily.

"Oh, I didn't think you would need it Sokka." He smiled as he pulled out the fishing line that was now a necklace with a flower in the middle. I raised one of my eyebrows.

"It's nice and all, but isn't that a little feminine for you? Well, I guess you _are_ more in touch with your feminine side than most guys." I shrugged. He glared at me while Sokka inspected the **  
**necklace.

"Aw, it's all tangled!" He whined. Aang shook his head as he stood up.

"Not tangled, woven. I made you a necklace Katara. I thought since you lost your other one…" He finished by holding up the necklace with a bright, cheeky smile. I smirked at him. _You're so obvious…_ Katara walked over obliviously with a smile.

"Thanks Aang. I love it." She stated as she grabbed it. Sokka glared over at them.

"Great Aang. Maybe instead of saving the world you can go into the jewelry making business."

"I don't see why I can't do both." Aang shrugged with a smile. I coughed into my hand.

"* _Cough*_ Feminine! * _Cough*_ " I then proceeded to promptly ignore Aang's glare. Looking back at the lake I saw the fish jump out again. Sokka grumbled and chucked the fishing rod like a spear. It did nothing.

"Sokka, don't waste a perfectly good fishing rod!" I called out as he ignored me.

"Stop taunting me!" Grabbing a knife from his belt, Sokka ran out into the water to try and get the fish. I laughed as he fell into the water.

"Hah! Sokka got juked out by a fish!" I fell onto the ground in giggles. Aang laughed a little too before Katara spoke up.

"So, how do I look?" She asked as she turned towards us with the necklace on. Honestly, she looked the same to me. Glancing over at Aang I saw his face turn red and I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. He nervously tugged on his collar.

"You mean all of you, or just your neck? I mean, because both look great!" He announced with a smile. I faked a gag from behind Katara in his view as Sokka stood back up in the water, the fish in his hands.

"Smoochy smoochy! Someone's in love~" Sokka puckered his lips at the fish and it smacked him in the face with its tail. I giggled.

"You just got rejected, by a fish." He glared at me from the water as I smiled innocently and looked away.

"I-well…" Aang blushed at Sokka's statement and he rubbed his head.

"Stop teasing him Sokka. Aang's just a good friend. A sweet little guy, just like Momo." She cooed as she rubbed both of their heads. Aang slouched at being compared to the lemur.

"Thanks…" He mumbled. I patted his shoulder sympathetically with a small smile.

"Just give it time." I said as Sokka walked up to us, soaking wet. Suddenly a loud roar rang out. Aang and I looked at each other before running up on a hill towards the sound. Aang pointed his finger at a man.

"Someone's being attacked by a platypus-bear!" He shouted. A platypus-bear was roaring and trying to claw a man dressed in blue and who had a funny hat. The man merely smiled and stepped out of the way as the animal attacked him. _Is he crazy?!_ Aang and I ran over and the man glanced at us.

"Well, hello there! Nice day isn't it." I just stared at the funny hat guy. Now I know he's crazy.

"Make noise he'll run off!" Aang yelled out as Sokka and Katara joined us.

"No, play dead! He'll lose interest!" Sokka added. The man ducked as a claw got close to his head.

"Whoa! Close one!" He laughed. I don't know if he's brave, or stupid. I'm gonna go with stupid.

"Run downhill, then climb a tree!"

"No, punch him in the bill!"

"And then run in zig-zags!"

"Just do something! You're pissing me off!" I shouted as I flailed my arms around. Katara smacked my head.

"Language Kai." I glared at her as I rubbed the back of my head. It's not like it's a bad word or anything…Meanwhile, the man was completely ignoring our suggestions.

"No need, it's going to be fine." He was still smiling. The man was backed up to a tree as the bear kept on swiping at him. Aang air bended over the bear and stood in front of the man. He blew air into the bear's face, making him back up.

"Whoa there!" He shouted at the bear. The bear roared and went to attack Aang when Appa appeared behind it with a roar of his own. The bear laid an egg in fright before running off. Sokka immediately ran up and snatched the egg.

"Mm! Lunch!" He practically drooled. I looked cautiously at the egg. He does know that the egg is technically platypus-bear poop, right? Or, you could see it as a baby platypus-bear. Either way, it would be terrible to eat it.

"Lucky for you we came along." Sokka stated, looking at the man with a face that said 'you're welcome'.

"Sokka, _we_ did nothing. It was all Aang." I stated as I rolled my eyes. Sokka just ignored me.

"Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry, Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey." The man interjected as he stood up and walked over to us.

"Aunt who?" Aang tilted his head in confusion.

"No, Aunt _Wu_. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future." The man explained, still smiling.

"Wow, it must be. That explains why you were so calm." Katara smiled as she looked at the man. I looked at him too, but my eyes kept drifting to his funny hat.

"But the fortuneteller was wrong! You didn't have a safe journey you were almost killed!" Sokka yelled in protest. He just didn't believe in things like fortunetelling. Technically they were both wrong. The man was safe, but only because Aang jumped in.

"But I wasn't. Alright, have a good one!" The man replied before beginning to walk off, _still smiling!_ He was a hippie if I ever saw one. He suddenly turned around.

"Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this." He stated as he pulled a wrapped object from his back and handed it to Aang before walking away. Aang examined it curiously as Katara looked in the direction the man went.

"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes. It could be fun!" She suggested as Sokka glared, cuddling his egg. I shrugged.

"Sure, sounds fun. But, what does Mr. Know-it-all think?" I raised an eyebrow at Sokka who was still glaring in the direction that the man left in before turning to me. I think it's funny that he actually responded to the name.

"Oh, come on! Fortunetelling's a bunch of nonsense." He insisted as Aang unwrapped the package, revealing an umbrella. He opened it over his head.

"What do you know? An umbrella!" He smiled. Just as he said then, thunder sounded overhead and rain began to fall. Katara water bended the rain to keep it off of her as she ran under the umbrella with Aang.

"That proves it!" She stated. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"No it doesn't! You can't _really_ tell the future!" He insisted.

"I guess you're not _really_ getting wet then." She countered. Just as she said that, the egg slipped out of my brother's hands and he began flailing, trying to catch it. It landed on top of his head and cracked, the contents spilling down his face. I looked at the egg. _Poor baby platypus-bear. What a horrible way to die. Death by Sokka's face._ I still giggled at the sight of Sokka though because it was still hilarious.

* * *

"Of course she predicted it was going to rain. The sky's been grey all day." Sokka mumbled as we continued to walk down the path. Katara and Aang shared an umbrella as Sokka and I stayed out in the open. Sokka was getting soaked, but I was heating my body so that the rain evaporated when it touched me and my clothes stayed dry.

"But what if that man left the village before today? Was the sky grey all week?" I questioned as I looked at him. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I smirked in victory.

"Just admit you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella." Katara added.

"Look, _I'm_ going to predict the future now. It's going to keep drizzling." He stated with a deep voice as he did a creepy waddle with his hands out. It kept raining as he stood up straight and crossed his arms.

"See." Just as he said that the sky cleared up and the rain stopped. We all smirked at him.

"Not everyone has the gift Sokka." Aang said as we continued to walk forward. I laughed as Sokka pouted and Appa shook out his wet fur, drenching Sokka further to his chagrin. I leaned closer to Aang and Katara.

"I predict that he's going to stay miserable about this and totally deny that fortunetelling works." I whispered to them. Katara smiled at me.

"That's not fortunetelling, that's just stating the facts."

* * *

"Aunt Wu is expecting you." We looked at the white haired man as he waved his hands towards the door. He looked scary.

"Really?" Katara and Aang smiled before walking in with me trailing behind. Sokka was behind me and I heard him 'pfft' in disbelief. Once inside, a girl walked up to us. The first thing I noticed were the giant, fluffy pigtails going out the side of her head. They honestly looked like horns to me.

"My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant." She stated before her eyes widened and locked on Aang. I could see the hearts in her eyes and this time I actually did gag behind Sokka.

"Well, hello there." She smirked as she eyed Aang. He just rubbed his nose.

"Hello." He greeted unenthusiastically as we sat down on some pillows on the floor.

"Can I get you some tea, or Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng offered as she kept her eyes on Aang.

"I'll try a curd puff." Sokka stated. She put her hand out in his direction and she didn't even look at him.

"Just a second." She knelt down in front of Aang, smiling creepily.

"So, what's your name?" She asked.

"Aang." He replied as he stared blankly at her. She gasped and looked like he gave her a present.

"That rhymes with Meng! And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you." Meng smiled. I actually laughed at that and how Aang's face looked.

"Uh…I guess." He mumbled.

"Don't be modest, they're huge!" Sokka added with a smile. I looked over at him.

"Yeah! They're almost the size of Sokka's!" I smirked. Now Aang and Sokka were _both_ holding their ears self-consciously.

"Well, Aang it was very nice to meet you. _Very_ nice." Meng called over her shoulder as she smirked back at him. If the situation wasn't so funny I would've cringed at how obvious she was being.

"Likewise." Aang replied. I mentally smacked my face. I was surrounded by oblivious people.

"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense." Sokka whined as he lounged on the floor.

"Try to keep an open mind Sokka. There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?" Katara asked. I snorted.

"Asking Sokka to keep an open mind is like asking me not to make fun of him for a day. It breaks the natural order of things." I shrugged. Sokka glared at me.

"Why do you feel the need to do that?"

"It's entertaining and someone has to keep you in line."

"By making fun of me?"

"The world's 'wakeup call' for the soul."

"You're weird."

"Thank you Mr. Flexes at his own reflection."

"Hey! I-!" He was cut off as Katara smacked both our heads.

"The both of you better stop. You're both weird, get over it." She stated as she folded her arms and went back to her seat. I stuck my tongue out at Sokka as he glared at me. Aang was just laughing at the whole scene. We kept on making faces at each other. I only looked away as Meng tripped and Aang helped stabilize the tray in her hands. Their hands were touching and they locked eyes. Meng blushed furiously before she smiled nervously and stood up, handing the tray to Aang.

"Enjoy your snack!" She called out as she retreated. Aang looked after her in confusion while Sokka reached over me and stole the bowl of bean curd puffs from Aang just as someone walked up to us.

"Welcome young travelers! Now, who's next? Don't be shy." An elderly woman asked as she stood in front of us.

Sokka looked at me, I looked at Aang, and he looked at Katara. She stood up with a smile.

"Guess that's me." She followed Aunt Wu into the room in the back and the door closed behind them. A loud munching noise drew my attention and I looked over at Sokka who was stuffing bean curd puffs into his mouth messily. I rolled my eyes before getting up and sitting on the other side of Aang. I didn't want him to get his mess all over me.

"So, what do you think they're talking about back there?" Aang asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Boring stuff like love, who she's gonna marry, how many kids she's going to have, stuff like that." Sokka shrugged as he drank some tea. Aang's eyes widened comically.

"Yeah…dumb stuff like that…Well, I've gotta find a bathroom!" Aang called out as he ran off. I rolled my eyes. He was going to eavesdrop on Katara's fortune. Sokka shrugged before lying down and tossing a puff into his mouth. Momo swooped in and stole his bowl.

"Hey! Those were mine!"

"Sokka, stop trying to tackle the poor lemur."

* * *

"Looks like somebody had a good bathroom break." Sokka called out as Aang walked into the room with a huge smile. I'm guessing he heard something he liked.

"Uh, yeah. While I was in there-."

"I don't even want to know!" Sokka cut him off quickly. I nodded.

"Yeah, I don't exactly want to know how a guy's bathroom break goes either." I added just as Aunt Wu and Katara walked back into the room.

"Who's next?" Aunt Wu asked as she looked at us. Sokka sighed.

"Okay, let's get this over with." He stood up slowly. Aunt Wu raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted." She stated as she looked at him.

"But you didn't even read my palms or anything!" Sokka protested.

"I don't have to. It's written all over your face." She replied. I giggled. I liked this lady. Standing up I walked over to her.

"I'll go next." I offered. She smiled at me before waving me into the room. There was a fire in the middle and I stared at it for a second before following the woman in. We sat next to each other in front of the fire and she took my hand in hers.

"Ah, interesting…a fire bender." She mumbled. I looked at her in surprised before nodding nervously. I hoped she didn't lock me up or anything. She just laughed.

"Don't worry child, I can see that you are a kind hearted girl. Just make sure you don't go shooting fire in the village." She winked at me as I sighed in relief before nodding.

"Now, do you want me to check anything specific like your love line perhaps?" She questioned. I thought about it before shrugging.

"I'm not all that interested in my love life. I don't know if I'll ever settle down actually. Traveling freely is more my style." I explained with a smile. She looked surprised before she smiled gently back.

"That's unusual for a young lady. Most girls would be dreaming of a great romance and a family."

"I'm not normal I guess. Besides, Katara has enough desire for 'romance' for the both of us." Aunt Wu laughed before nodding.

"I suppose that's true. Now, what _would_ you like to see?" She asked as she looked down at my hand.

"Well, I think just a general description of my future would be nice. Like if it'll be hard or not I suppose." I shrugged. She nodded before examining my palm closely. I frowned as the smile slipped off of her face and a serious look replaced it.

"…What is it?" I questioned as I looked at my own palm. It couldn't be _that_ bad…right? She stared at my palm for a few seconds before looking up at me.

"Your lifeline is…troubling. In general your life is filled with many hardships and many joyful things. You will overcome many obstacles and you will be involved in a great conflict. But, at the end your line splits into two paths. One is shorter and ends abruptly, while the other lasts for a long time." She stated. My eyes widened in surprise, but only because she was able to discern that. I gave a sheepish smile as I looked at her.

"Actually, I already knew that. I already know about that conflict and the two paths my life can take. You could say it's a… _condition_ I have." I shrugged. She looked at me sympathetically before patting my hand.

"I suppose we are all susceptible of having our lives cut short. It just saddens me to see a young one such as you going through that." She sighed as she looked back at my hand.

"But, on a brighter note I see much love between you and your family and that with either path your life takes, you will always be close knit and care for each other." She finished with a smile. I smiled back. That was a happier note, but if I did die I wouldn't want them to have to see it. I didn't say that and just thanked Aunt Wu before going out to grab Aang.

* * *

"Well, now you got to see that fortunetelling is just a big stupid hoax." Sokka stated as we walked out of the building.

"You're just saying that because you're going to make yourself unhappy your whole life." Katara countered smugly.

"That woman is crazy! My life will be calm, and happy, and joyful!" He protested as he kicked a rock. It ricocheted off a sign and came back to hit him on the head. Normally I would've stated that he was the kind of fortuneteller that always said the opposite of what was going to happen, but my mind was still on my future.

I hadn't given a lot of thought to what Aang and I are going to do to try and stop the whole 'I might die' thing, but he needed to focus on mastering the elements and not me. I didn't want to distract him from his duties as the Avatar. He had a lot more to worry about than me. Did I want to die? Of course not! But, I didn't want to live at the expense of others.

"Kai? Are you okay? Usually you'd make fun of Sokka by now." Katara asked concernedly as she looked at me. Aang and Sokka were both looking at me in confusion too. I waved her off with a laugh.

"Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention! But whatever happened I'm sure he deserved it." I stated with a smirk. Sokka glared at me as Aang laughed in agreement. Katara didn't look convinced, but I made sure to not look over at her. Looking around for something to distract her, I pointed at the group of people gathered.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" I asked as I began to walk over. The others followed behind and walked to the back of the group.

"What's with the sky?" Katara asked as she looked up. The man from earlier was standing next to us.

"We're waiting for Aunt Wu to read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village." He explained. Sokka rolled his eyes while Katara looked up at the sky dreamily. Aang pointed at a cloud.

"That cloud looks like a fluffy bunny." He stated. I looked up and nodded. It _did_ look like a fluffy bunny.

"You better hope that's not a bunny. The fluffy bunny cloud predicts doom and destruction." The man said as he turned towards us. I raised an eyebrow. Who knew bunnies could be so dangerous.

"Do you even hear yourself?!" Sokka shouted as he glared at the man who ignored him.

"The cloud reading will tell us if Mt. Makapu will remain dormant for another year, or if it'll erupt." A random lady explained as she pointed at the volcano in front of the village. I looked at it. _Who builds a village in front of a volcano that may erupt?_

"We used to have a tradition of once a year of going up the mountain to check the volcano ourselves. But, ever since Aunt Wu moved into the village 20 years ago we have a tradition of _not_ doing that." The man added with a smile.

"I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy woman's superstitions!" Sokka said as he glared at the man. Katara grabbed his shoulder.

"Sh! She's coming!" She pointed over at the stairs as Aunt Wu and the creepy white haired guy walked into view. Everyone cheered as she walked by. I patted Sokka's shoulder as he grumbled.

"Don't be so grumpy. These people aren't going to take your word over hers." I said as he just groaned. Aunt Wu had walked up onto a little roofed area in the middle of the square. Taking a deep breath she looked up at the sky and pulled out a little book.

"Bending arrow cloud. Good crops this year! Nice big harvest!" She announced. A couple of farmers cheered.

"Wavy moon-shaped cloud, let's see…gonna be a great year for twins~" Aunt Wu said with a smile. I saw a couple of twins cheer and high five each other as she continued.

"And a cumulous cloud with a twisted nub coming off the end of it…the village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!" She finally announced. Everyone cheered. I clapped as I giggled at Sokka's seething face.

* * *

"I can't believe all these saps! Someone really needs to scream some sense into them." Sokka stated as he walked angrily forward. Aang and I shared a look before walking faster to catch up with him. Katara had gone back to Aunt Wu's for another reading.

"I thought it was 'talk some sense' into them, not 'scream some sense." I commented.

"They seem happy Sokka." Aang added. Sokka just kept going on.

"Not for long. I'm gonna prove Aunt Wu's predictions are nonsense." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Sokka, I think it's a show of character when you want to end someone's happiness." I stated as I crossed my arms.

"I'm not gonna end it _forever_ , I'm just gonna get them to _not_ be happy about Aunt Wu's fortunes." Sokka corrected. I just sighed as Sokka grabbed some random man wearing red shoes.

"Hey you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she." Sokka stated as he pointed at the offending objects.

"Yeah, she said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met my true love." The man smiled dreamily. I rolled my eyes. _Is everyone lovesick except for me?! If this is what they're like, I don't want to be._

"Uh huh, and how long have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?"

"Every day." The man replied happily.

"Then of course it's gonna come true!" Sokka yelled.

"Really? You think so?! I'm so excited!" The man yelled as he walked away happily. Sokka groaned before kicking another rock. This time it hit a bird who flew at Sokka and attacked his face. I giggled at him. He deserved it.

* * *

"I don't care what Aunt Wu told you! You have to take a bath sometime!" Sokka yelled at a stinky man covered in dirt. The man just chuckled before walking away. Sokka groaned and hit his head.

"So Sokka, you know some stuff about ladies, right?" Aang asked as he rubbed the back of his head. I almost laughed out loud. _Sokka?! Knowing ladies?! Yeah right! Sokka's stuck in the kid mentality that if you're mean to a girl they'll like you._ I wanted to see this train wreck though, so I just watched.

"Some stuff? You've come to the right place. What can I do you for?" Sokka asked cockily as he put his arm around Aang.

"Well, there's this girl…" Aang trailed off. Hiding behind a barrel was Meng. I could see her giggle as she looked over at us. I stared at her. _Is she stalking Aang?!_

"I think I know who you mean." Sokka replied as he looked at Meng. I rolled my eyes. He obviously means Katara, but of course Sokka didn't get that.

"You do? And you're okay with it?" Aang asked incredulously. Sokka just nodded with a smirk.

"Of course, and to tell the truth I've been picking up a subtle vibe that she likes you too." He added as we saw Meng waving at Aang enthusiastically, trying to get his attention. I sighed. Katara did like him, as a little brother. I think she might eventually like him, but right now he's too much like family for her. Sokka was just giving him false hope right now.

"She does?" Aang asked excitedly. Sokka nodded.

"Oh yeah, she's crazy about you. All you have to do now is not mess it up."

"Well, how do I do that?"

"The number one mistake nice guys like you make, being too nice." I actually did smack my face at that while Aang looked at Sokka incredulously.

"You can be too nice?"

"Yup, to keep her interested you have to act aloof like you don't really care one way or another." Okay, I've watched this go on for too long. I reached in between the two and forcefully pushed them apart.

"Stop feeding him bad news Sokka! That is the opposite of what you want to do!" I shouted as I glared at my brother before turning to Aang.

"Don't listen to him Aang, he's only gotten one girl to like him in his life and that was by doing the complete opposite of what he's telling you. I actually _am_ a girl, so I think I can help you better in this department." I stated as I crossed my arms. Aang smiled excitedly while Sokka glared at me.

"What are you talking about? I'm giving him great advice!" Sokka shouted in protest. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, name one time that acting 'aloof' actually got you a girl?" I asked as I smirked at him. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I ignored him and turned back to Aang.

"Aang, you're doing good so far. Girls like nice guys and if you act aloof that'll just make them not like you. It's a work in progress though, so just keep being yourself. If the girl doesn't like you for who you are then that's her loss." I explained. He nodded happily.

"Thanks Kai! That makes a lot more sense than being 'aloof'." Aang stated as he rubbed the back of his head. Sokka pouted while I laughed. Looking around I saw a man giving a flower to a woman. I think she called it a Panda lily.

"Hey Aang! You should give the girl you like a flower like that." I stated as I pointed them out. Katara loves things like flowers. It'll definitely get Aang some points in her book. Aang nodded enthusiastically and ran over to them. I smacked my forehead as he literally squeezed in between them.

"Excuse me, where can a guy get one of those?"

* * *

"I can't believe you're dragging us all the way up here for a stupid flower." Sokka groaned. I smirked at him.

"Oh no, physical labor! What're we to do?" I asked as I swooned dramatically. Aang laughed as Sokka rolled his eyes and ignored me.

"Flowers are fine once you're _married_. But at this stage you want to maintain maximum aloofness." Sokka stated as he looked at Aang. Aang looked at him before turning towards me in question.

"No Aang, flowers are great to get the girl to notice you in the first place." I corrected. He smiled and nodded in understanding as Sokka glared between us.

"Oh so now _you're_ the love expert? I'm older than you!" He protested.

"Right, so who knows more about getting a girl to like you? The girl? Or a guy who's never had a girlfriend?" I sarcastically asked as I continued to climb the mountain, ignoring his comments. Honestly, that guy still thinks that it's more dangerous for a girl to be in a fight than a boy. I'd have to get Suki to beat some more lessons into him later.

"And my heart is telling me to get this flower anyways. Aunt Wu said that if I followed my heart I'd be with the one I love." Aang explained.

"What? Don't tell me you believe in that stuff too!" Sokka groaned.

"Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet, so why should she be wrong about love?" Aang questioned as he jumped over another rock before his face grew excited.

"There! On the rim!" He ran over to the rim of the volcano as Sokka and I trailed behind. On the rim of the volcano were Panda lilies spread all over. Aang ran over and quickly picked one before smelling it. I got closer and my eyes widened as I felt the heat below us. I poked Aang before pointing at the boiling lava in front of us.

"Aang, I think you jinxed us." He gasped.

"Oh no…Aunt Wu was wrong." He dropped the flower and it burned below. Sokka ran over and crouched down, looking at the volcano.

"Those people think they're safe! We've gotta warn them!" He yelled. Aang nodded and pulled out his glider.

"There's no time to walk! Grab on!" He ordered. We both held on to different sides of the glider as Aang lifted off and flew. Sokka shouted in alarm as we took off. We flew down to the village and landed right in front of Aunt Wu's house. Katara stood there, looking at the doors.

"Hi Katara." Aang greeted sheepishly as we walked up to her.

"Can you believe she won't let me in? After all the business I've given her!" She complained. Aang looked at her weirdly.

"But she doesn't even charge." He stated in confusion.

"I know, but still." Katara insisted as she looked over at us. I understood Aunt Wu's pain. Katara was a bit much sometimes. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Well, we have other things to worry about! Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano!" He shouted. Katara glared at him.

"Sokka, you tried to convince me that Aunt Wu was wrong before. It's gonna take an awful lot to change my min-." She was cut off by a loud boom and the ground shaking beneath us. We looked up and my eyes widened as I saw the smoke rising out of the volcano. We didn't have a lot of time. Katara gasped in shock.

"Oh no."

* * *

"Everyone! That volcano is gonna blow any second! Aunt Wu was wrong!" Sokka yelled as we ran into the village square.

"Yeah yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science-and-reason-lover." One of the women called out.

"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me. I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions just as much as you do! But my siblings and Aang saw the lava with their own eyes!" Katara stated as she stepped forward. The man Aang saved from the platypus-bear stepped forward.

"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears." I could've yelled at this guy. This place was filled with a bunch of delusional people. Aang air bended himself onto the top of a roof next to us.

"Please listen to us! You are all in danger and we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's predictions!" Aang protested. The ground shook again.

"Look! Can your fortunetelling explain that?" Sokka shouted as he pointed at the smoking volcano. The man with the red shoes scoffed.

"Pft, can your science explain why it rains?" He questioned. I smacked my head. These people are _actually_ stupid! I thought they were just naïve, _really_ naïve. But no, they're just plain stupid!

"YES! Yes it can!" Sokka shouted in the man's face as he just scoffed again with a smirk. Everyone just ignored us and walked away. I was tempted to fire bend right here in the square, but that would just get everyone to focus on arresting me, not saving the village. Unless, Aunt Wu predicted that no dangerous, fire bending children would enter the village this year, but that was a long shot.

"They just won't listen to reason." Katara sighed as she looked down and Aang landed next to us.

"But they will listen to Aunt Wu!" Aang announced. Sokka grumbled and glared at the ground.

"I know, that's the problem."

"It's more like they worship her. If she told them that they'd gain immortality by jumping into lava they'd do it with no hesitation." I added with a sigh. Aang put his hand on my shoulder with a smile.

"Well, that's about to solve our problem." Aang explained his whole steal the book, change the shapes of the clouds to signify destruction, and get Aunt Wu to announce it to the whole village. I rolled my eyes. That'd take _way_ too long. And what if the volcano went off early? What if Aunt Wu didn't come with us right away? What if she has her book on her person all the time? Yeah, too many 'what if's for me.

"I have a better idea. Why don't we just show the volcano to Aunt Wu herself? She's sensible enough to know an active volcano when she sees it." I offered. The others looked at each other and Aang rubbed the back of his head.

"…yeah, that makes more sense."

* * *

As the others ran off to gather the people in the square again, I ran over to Aunt Wu's house and knocked on the door furiously. She opened the door a few seconds later with a glare.

"I told you! No more-!" She stopped short once she realized it was just me.

"Oh, I apologize. I thought you were your sister." She stated sheepishly. I waved her off.

"No problem, I completely understand your issue. Anyways I'm not here for that, the volcano's going to blow soon and we need you to tell the people! They won't believe us." I explained as she looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"But the clouds said that the village would not be destroyed this year." She stated, clearly not believing me. I pulled her out of her house and pointed at the smoking volcano.

"Does that look like an inactive volcano? If you need more proof Aang can fly you up to the volcano, but it'd be a waste of time! It said the village wouldn't be destroyed, but not that the volcano wouldn't go off. To make sure that your prediction comes true we need to do something to stop the lava from reaching the village." I insisted as she gaped at the smoking volcano.

Aunt Wu stared at the smoke for a second before turning towards me and nodding. I sighed in relief and smiled brightly at her. Now, to announce it to the villagers.

* * *

After Aunt Wu confirmed the volcano's eruption we finally got the villagers to listen to us. We stood in front of them as Aang began to speak.

"We can still save the village if we act fast! Sokka has a plan!" He announced as he pointed at my brother.

"Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot. If we dig a deep trench we can lead the lava away from the village to the river." Sokka stated before turning back towards Aang.

"If any of you are earth benders, come with me!"

"Everybody else grab a shovel! C'mon we've gotta hurry!" Sokka announced as the earth began to shake again. The people all ran around to either grab shovels or go with Aang. I looked up at the smoke. Lava is just heat and rock right? So if I somehow removed the heat from it, it would just turn into rock. I wasn't skilled enough as a fire bender to do that yet. I sighed. _There's no other choice…I'll have to ask_ her _for help._ I mentally prepared myself.

" _Agni?"_

" **Kai! You called! We haven't talked in like forever!"**

" _I know but-."_

" **Oh, how are the others doing? Are you at the North Pole yet?"**

" _Agni I-!"_

" **It has been long enough after all. Oh, did you-?"**

"Agni, I believe Kai has some urgent news for us. Let her speak please."

" _Thank you Vayu! Anyways, there's a volcano near me that's about to erupt near a village! Agni, I need your help to be able to stop the lava if it gets too close."_ There was a silent pause for a minute and when she did speak, Agni sounded much more serious.

" **Kai…when your body uses our powers it puts even** _ **more**_ **strain on your body. You could end up shortening the time you have left."**

"… _I know. I considered that. But saving the village is more important. I won't use your power unless it's absolutely necessary, but I need you to be prepared to help me out."_ I heard Agni sigh in my mind.

" **Alright, I'll help you if you need it. But** _ **only**_ **if you** _ **need**_ **it, got it?"**

" _Got it, thanks Agni!"_

"Be careful Kai."

" _I will Vayu. I'll make sure and talk to you guys later."_ I heard their approvals before I cut off the connection. I looked down at my palm. I didn't want to have to do this, but I would if the lava was going to destroy the village. I looked over at the group of people grabbing shovels and ran over to grab my own.

* * *

We dug for what felt like forever as we created trenches at the front of the village. The earth benders were clearing the wider gaps while the others worked on making the trenches deeper. Another boom shook the ground and we all looked up in horror as the volcano began to spill lava out. We were running out of time.

"Dig faster! Dig faster!" Sokka called out as we all began to dig double time. I ignored the ache in my arms and continued to shovel the dirt as fast as I could. The earth benders finally cleared the trench into the river and Aang flew over to us.

"Everyone needs to evacuate! We'll come get you when it's safe!" He shouted out. The people began furiously running out of the trenches and to safe ground. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and I all stared at the lava as it approached us. Ash fell from the sky as the volcano spewed out smoke.

The lava finally reached us and began filling up the trenches at an alarming rate. I could feel the heat from where I was standing as the lava continued to rise.

"It's too much! It's gonna overflow!" Katara yelled out just as the ground shook again. We saw lava shoot out of the volcano in new waves and Katara and Sokka immediately began to retreat as Aang and I stood there. A large boulder fell into the lava in front of us and sent out a wave of lava.

Aang ran at it with a shout and air bended the lava away so that it formed a giant wall in front of us. He took in a deep breath before sending a powerful stream of air at the wall of lava, solidifying a wall of rock around the village in a protective barrier.

I almost sighed in relief, but I looked around and saw that it only protected the village. If the lava kept going it would burn down the surrounding forest and go on for who knows how long. There were hundreds of animals living out there and maybe even some people too. I couldn't just let them all die from the forest fire. I looked at the wall of rock in front of me before turning towards Aang who was panting in exertion.

"Aang, get me to the top of this wall." He looked at me in confusion.

"Why? It's dangerous up there." He protested.

"Don't argue with me, just do it. Please." I added as I looked him in the eye. He still looked wary, but nodded and air bended a blast beneath the both of us that sent us to the top of the makeshift wall. I looked down at the lava surrounding us and took a deep breath.

" _Agni? It's time."_

" **I understand. I'll give you some of my power. Please be careful."**

" _I will be. Thanks Agni."_ I focused back on the lava as I felt new power surge into me. I didn't feel the ache in my arms anymore and the knowledge of how to stop the lava entered into my head.

Taking a deep breath I pointed two fingers with my right hand at the lava before pointing my other hand outwards. I focused on the heat within the lava and pulled it into my right hand before transferring out my left. I began sweating as I felt the heat enter and exit, but I kept on going. I felt my hands begin to shake from exertion. While Agni had given me some of her power, my body was still new to this.

I took another shaky breath as I continued to flow the heat out. Glancing down at the lava I saw that a lot of it had hardened. _Just…a little…more_. My head began to ache as I felt like I had breathed in a bunch of smoke, which I technically had.

The edges of my vision began to blur and I knew I was about to pass out. I held off the urge to just fall asleep right there as I glanced at the lava again. I sighed in relief as I was that I had hardened enough of it for it to not be a problem. My hands fell to my sides as I panted and I finally let sleep overtake me. I vaguely heard Aang's shout of alarm and arms grab onto me as I fell, but I was too sleepy to care.

* * *

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open and sunlight streamed through. My whole body felt sore. I took a few deep breaths before beginning to sit up with a wince. I was lying on the floor of a house. I was immediately met by the relieved faces of my siblings.

"Kai! Are you okay?" Katara questioned as she held her hand to my forehead. I nodded with a small smile before looking between them.

"What happened?" I asked. Aang sat next to me.

"It was amazing! You stopped the lava by taking the heat out of it! I didn't know you could even do that! Afterwards, you passed out. I caught you before you fell and we took you to the village healer. He just said that you exerted yourself and that you'd be up with a little rest." He explained as Sokka handed me the water skin. I smiled gratefully before taking a big chug. My whole body felt like it was dehydrated.

After I was finished I set the water skin back down and grimaced as a hand hit my head again. People just _love_ to abuse my head for some reason. I rubbed it before looking up at a glaring Katara.

"You need to be more careful! What if it was more than exertion?! What if Aang hadn't been there to catch you and you fell off?! Why did you even do that?! The village was safe with Aang's wall!" She yelled with a glare.

"The forest. Aang's wall protected the village, but not the trees around it. I couldn't just let the whole forest burn down with all the animals living there because I didn't want to exert myself." I explained with a shrug. Katara's face softened as she looked down at me as Aang nodded in agreement. Sokka was a mix between concerned and understanding which was odd for him.

"…I understand Kai. And I'm proud of you for what you did, really, I am. Just…promise to be more careful, okay?" She sighed out as she deflated, no longer angry. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Promise."

* * *

"I want to thank you kids very much for saving the village." Aunt Wu smiled at us as we stood there. We were gathered in the square again with all the villagers as we prepared to leave. We smiled at her as Sokka went up and stood in front of the people.

"No offense, but I hope this has taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortunetelling." Sokka stated as he looked at the villagers. Of course, the guy from the platypus-bear incident spoke up again.

"But Aunt Wu predicted that the village _wouldn't_ be destroyed and it wasn't. She was right after all." He said with a smile. Sokka got up in his face.

"I hate you." He stated with a glare as Katara walked up and pulled him away. I looked up at the clouds as I decided to cut in.

"Technically, you're both wrong. Yeah, the village wasn't destroyed, but not because Aunt Wu predicted that it wouldn't be. It was saved because we all _worked_ to keep it that way. She can give you the possible outcome, but unless you actually do something it won't come true. We all have to shape our own futures and work for what we want. That's the only way we'll ever achieve anything." I finished. Looking back at the villagers I saw they were all staring at me. I reddened slightly under the attention.

"…What?" Aunt Wu laughed behind me and patted my shoulder.

"Wise words for one so young." She stated before looking down at me.

"Remember your own words for _your_ future. Nothing is set in stone." She smiled kindly and I knew that she was talking about my life line, the one that I had probably shortened earlier with my lava stunt. I smiled at her before giving her a quick hug.

"Thanks." I stated before backing up and going over to Appa. I climbed onto his back with Aang and Sokka as Katara prepared to take us up.

"Goodbye everyone! It was so good to meet you all!" Katara called out with a wave before looking over at Meng who was at the front.

"Take care Meng!"

"Take care!" She replied with a wave and a smile. Katara turned Appa around and I glanced back at Meng and saw that her smile had vanished and was replaced with a glare. Laughing, I turned towards Katara.

"Looks like you've got a rival!"

"…What?"

* * *

 **The end! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next one will be 'Bato of the Water Tribe'!**


	14. Chapter 14: Bato of the Water Tribe

**Chapter 14: Bato of the Water Tribe**

 **Hey guys! Here's the 14** **th** **chapter of Legend of Kai! Sorry for posting a day late again. I think I'm going to just make Sunday the official update day because I end up posting today anyways. Homework's not helping. Anyways, thanks to all my reviewers! I hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

"Hey look! A sword made out of a whale's tooth!" I walked over to Aang who was holding up the weapon. My eyes widened. That looked really familiar…it was water tribe! Sokka ran over to him also.

"Let me see that." He ordered as he took the sword from Aang's hands. I liked how he took it anyways. He examined the sword before his eyes widened in realization.

"This is a water tribe weapon. See if you can find anything else." Aang and I nodded before we all ran off in different directions to look for clues. I leaned down next to a bush and began to dig through it.

"Did someone lose something?" Katara asked as she walked into the clearing. Aang looked up from his searching and sent her a smile.

"No, we found something!"

"Too bad it wasn't Sokka's brain…" I sighed dejectedly. Aang laughed into his hand while Katara sent me a scolding look, but the edges of her mouth twitched upwards in amusement. Sokka just ignored me. I had to give him props for developing such a skill. He bent down and brushed some leaves off of an arrowhead before picking it up.

"It's burned…there was a battle." He stated as he stood up and brushed his hand along the burn marks of a tree. There were burns on the grass making a path below him.

"Water tribe warriors ambushed a group of fire benders. The fire benders fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill." Sokka ran down the hill, following the path. Aang, Katara, and I all shared a look before running off to follow him. I hate to admit, but Sokka was a pretty good tracker. Hakoda taught him a lot of stuff like that before he left. I just liked to focus on the kick butt part.

We ran down and through the trees, arriving on a beach. Sokka stopped running up ahead and stared out at the water. We ran up to him and stopped behind him.

"So then what happened?" Aang questioned. He sounded excited.

"I don't know. The trail ends here." Sokka sighed, shaking his head. I sighed also. I was hoping this might let us know something about Hakoda's fleet. Katara looked to the right and gasped.

"Wait! Look!" We followed her finger and saw a water tribe boat. I gasped before running over to it with the others.

"It's one of our boats!" Sokka cheered as he followed. We stopped in front of the ship and looked up at it.

"Is this…dad's boat?" Katara questioned as she looked over at our brother who was smiling brightly.

"No, but it's from his fleet. Dad was here."

* * *

I rubbed my eyes sleepily as I slowly looked around. We had camped out by the boat for the night and I lit a fire to keep us warm. Aang was sleeping on Appa's leg while Katara was asleep in her sleeping bag. The only other person up was Sokka who looked like he didn't get a wink of sleep at all as he poked the fire with a stick. I sat up slowly and looked over at him.

"Sokka? You should get some rest." I stated as I sat on my sleeping back and scooted closer to the fire. He just nodded, but I could tell he wasn't paying attention. I sighed. I knew he was thinking about when Hakoda left. It was hard on all of us, but it really hit Sokka. He wanted to go, but he wasn't old enough and was left behind by the men.

"…I wish I could've gone." I looked up at my brother as he mumbled at the fire. He was staring at it dejectedly.

"You were too young. There's nothing you could've done." I smiled at him reassuringly, but he just ignored me again. I tried to think of a way to make him feel better.

"Hey, if you left with Hakoda then you wouldn't be here with Katara, Aang, and I right now. Who else could keep us from staying on schedule to the North Pole? And, who else gets to say that they're helping the Avatar save the world? Hakoda would be proud of you, not that he already isn't." Sokka looked up at me in surprise. I could understand that. I hardly ever said something like this to him.

"Don't get me wrong. I still think you're a pain in my butt." I added with a smirk. Couldn't just let him have all these nice words for free. Sokka rolled his eyes, but he smiled gratefully at me.

"Thanks Kai, who knew you had a heart?" I threw a stick at him and laughed as he yelped. He glared at me before joining in the laughter. We talked a little bit longer before the sleepiness caught up with me again and I went back into my sleeping bag after getting Sokka to promise that he'd at least try to sleep too. I closed my eyes and was almost asleep, but my brother's voice woke me again.

"…I've always wondered. Why do you call him Hakoda and not dad? You used to call him that before you found out you were adopted." He asked. I stiffened, but kept my eyes closed and evened out my breathing so that it would look like I was asleep. I could feel his eyes burning holes into my back, but soon he looked away thinking I couldn't hear him. I let out an in audible sigh of relief before relaxing. That wasn't really something I wanted to talk about right now.

Besides, I wasn't sure of all the exact reasons myself either.

* * *

"Bato?!" I was woken up rudely by my brother's shout. I sat up quickly and looked around with half-lidded eyes.

"Who the what now?" Aang questioned sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. Katara was up much faster and smiled at someone next to Sokka. He stepped into the light and I smiled as well.

"Bato!" Katara and I shouted simultaneously before we all ran up to him in excitement. He smiled at us as we approached.

"Sokka, Kai, Katara! It is so good to see you. You've grown so much." He chuckled as we hugged his torso. We looked up at him and I vaguely noticed that I was still a lot shorter than the man. Have I grown at all?

"Hi, I'm Aang." Aang greeted him with a bow as we had our little group hug.

"Where's dad?"

"Is he here?" Sokka and Katara questioned Bato as I stared at his bandages.

"And what the heck happened to you?" I questioned.

"Your father should be in the eastern Earth kingdom by now with the other warriors. And I was injured in a fight with some fire benders." Bato explained. Sokka looked down sadly at the mention that Hakoda wasn't here as me and Katara looked at him in concern. Suddenly a breeze blew by and we all shivered. Even if we were from the South Pole we still got cold. Bato shivered as well before waving us over.

"This is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside."

* * *

"After I was wounded your father carried me to this abbey. The sisters have cared for me ever since." Bato explained as we walked into an open courtyard filled with nuns.

"Superior. These are Hakoda's children. They've been traveling with the Avatar. I found them by my boat." He smiled as he talked to an elderly woman in front of us. She smiled at us kindly.

"Young Avatar, it gives me great joy to be in your presence. Welcome to our abbey." The woman greeted Aang who smiled back at her.

"Thank you, it's truly an honor to be here. If there's anything-."

"What smells so good Bato?" Sokka interrupted Aang as he looked up at the man.

"The sisters craft ointments and perfumes." Bato explained as he pointed at the large jars surrounding the courtyard.

"Perfume? Maybe we could dump some on Appa! Because, he stinks so much. Am I right?" Sokka smiled at his lame joke. I rolled my eyes as we all stared back at him.

"…You have your father's wit." Bato finally stated. I sighed.

"Out of all the things to get from Hakoda, he gets the wit…"

* * *

"Bato, it looks like home!" Katara smiled in excitement as he opened the door to his little cabin. I ran in with my siblings and smiled as I rubbed the soft pelts on the floors. They weren't as soft as Appa, but they were pretty soft.

"Everything's here, even the pelts!" Sokka added as he knelt down next to me. Aang looked around looking a little creeped out.

"Yeah…nothing's cozier than dead animal skins." He muttered. Then I remembered he was a vegan and I sent him a small, apologetic smile. He just smiled back before sitting next to me. We were all sitting in a circle on the floor. There was a fire in the middle with a pot over it. It looked like he was cooking something. Katara lifted the lid and smiled at the contents.

"No way, stewed sea prunes?" She asked in disbelief.

"Help yourself." Bato nodded. Sokka looked at the pot fondly.

"Dad could eat a whole barrel of these things." He stated as Katara began pouring us all bowls. I snorted.

"He could eat a whole barrel of a lot of things. Remember that one time he ate so much that we had to carry him home?" I giggled at the memory of us kids struggling to lift his body up. Sokka, Katara, and Bato all joined in the laughter.

"I remember how you kids looked when I found you. He nearly had you all pinned and he wasn't even conscious." Bato chuckled as Katara handed me my bowl. I looked at it hesitantly. I definitely didn't like the dish when I first had it, but I had learned to tolerate the familiar taste. It actually wasn't that bad, but I only really liked it when it had…

"Oh, Kai. Have some of this." Bato reached into a bag next to him and pulled out some cooked meat. He cut it up and poured the pieces into my stew. I smiled up at him.

"Thanks Bato! I'm surprised you still remember the way I like it."

"How could I forget? You complained about the taste so much as a child. Besides, you taught me that the meat really _did_ make it better." He smirked at me as he placed some meat into his own. I laughed at that. I really had complained about the stew a lot. One time we were having some meat from a seal with the stew as a side. I put both things together to experiment and it turned out that it tasted better with the meat.

"You were a really whiny child." Sokka smirked. I shrugged.

"All kids probably were at one point. Well, except for Katara I bet." I looked over at my sister who just smiled. She seemed too much like the 'perfect' child to be whiny.

"You're right. You and Sokka were definitely whinier than your sister. I think the only time Katara whined as a child was when Kai got really sick and she wasn't allowed to have visitors. Both you and Sokka threw a fit about that. Wouldn't leave Kai's side for days after they were allowed to see you again." Bato chuckled as he looked at Katara. Both Katara and Sokka blushed and looked at the walls. I smirked.

"Aww, how sweet." I laughed as Sokka glared at me while Katara just kept looking away. She cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"So Bato, is it true you and dad lassoed an arctic hippo?" She questioned as she looked up at Bato.

"It was your father's idea, he just dragged me along. Well, the hippo did the dragging." He nodded. I giggled at that. Hakoda seemed like the crazy friend that would drag you into messes and Bato was the more cautious one who just couldn't say no.

"Hey, I ride animals too! One time there was this _giant_ eel and I-!"

"So, who was it that came up with the great blubber fiasco?" Sokka cut off Aang again with another question. I shot Aang an apologetic smile before turning back towards Bato. I wanted to hear this too.

"You knew about that?" he chuckled.

"Everyone does." Katara giggled in response. Aang just looked between us confused.

"What's that story?" He asked. Sokka just held up his hand.

"It's a long one Aang, another time."

"You and dad had so many hilarious adventures." Katara interjected with a smile. I nodded.

"Yeah, I wish I could've lassoed an arctic hippo. But, Katara never let me go too far out after the whole penguin incident." I rolled my eyes at that. Just because I got lost _one_ time didn't mean it would happen again.

"You've had plenty of adventures yourself even without the hippo. I don't think me and your father ever got chased by a herd of arctic seals." Bato raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged.

"That seal had it coming to him." I defended. They laughed at me and I decided to change the subject before we could delve deeper into the 'Adventures of Kai'.

"I still think you guys had way funnier stories. You're legends for the kids in the village." I said with a smile. All the kids looked up to Bato and Hakoda for multiple reasons.

"They weren't funny at the time, but everything's funny in hindsight." Bato chuckled. He suddenly looked up.

"Aang, please put that down. It's ceremonial and _very_ fragile." I looked over my shoulder and saw that Aang was playing with one of the ceremonial animal headpieces that were worn during the Spirit festival. It was always nailed into my head to respect the headpieces so I gave Aang a look until he put it carefully back on its hook. I nodded with a smile before turning back towards Bato.

"Was it you or dad who put on an octopus head and convinced Gran Gran that you were a water spirit?" Sokka asked.

"Your dad wore the octopus, but I did the spooky voice." Bato explained as he waved his hands creepily. I glared at him.

"Gran Gran used to get me to listen to her by telling me that story! She said that if I didn't listen I would be visited by the evil water spirit!" They began to laugh at me and I smacked Sokka's arm.

"It's not funny! She looked so serious!"

* * *

"There's something I should tell you kids. I'm expecting a message from your father." Bato said as we finished talking.

"Really?!"

"When?!" Katara and Sokka both shouted excitedly. I still wasn't sure if I was still a little upset at Hakoda for not telling me he met my mom.

"Any day now. Your father said that he'd send a message when they found a rendezvous point. If you wait here until the message arrives you can come with me and see your father." Sokka and Katara smiled brightly. I smiled too. Even if I was mad at Hakoda I still wanted to see him. Plus, then I could question him directly.

"It's been two years since we've seen dad! That would be so incredible! Katara, Kai?" We both looked at him.

"I _do_ really miss him. It would be great to see dad." Katara sighed happily. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he has two of my birthdays to make up for." Bato looked between us with a soft smile.

"It's been far too long, hasn't it. I'm not sure when word will arrive, but when it does I'll be leaving the abbey and you kids can come too." He stated. All three of us shared a look before looking back at Bato.

"It would be great, but we can't. We have to take Aang to the North Pole first." Sokka explained as he looked back to us.

"Even if we had time to wait for the message who knows how far the rendezvous point is." I added. Katara nodded in agreement.

"We don't have time for a long detour." She finished. Bato smiled proudly us.

"I'm sure your father would understand and be proud that his children are helping the Avatar." He said as we smiled back at him. I noticed the fire was dimming in in front of us so I placed a new log on top of it and lit it on fire. I smiled in satisfaction before looking back up at Bato. He was staring at my hands with wide eyes. I looked down at them before looking back up at him in realization.

"Oh, we forgot to tell you something."

* * *

We spent the next portion of the time explaining a lot of things to Bato. Things like my heritage, bending, the whole Azrita Zura thingy, and my birth parents. I had to explain the thing about my mom to everyone because Sokka and Katara didn't know about it either. By the time everything was done Bato looked very surprised. But, I noted that he didn't seem _too_ surprised my parents and the fact that I was fire nation plus air nation.

"Wow, you've learned a lot about yourself Kai. It's a little overwhelming." He sighed as he rubbed his head. I still stared at him in suspicion. Then I realized something. If my mom met Hakoda all those years ago, then she most likely met Bato too.

"You met my birth mom, didn't you." I narrowed my eyes as I looked up at him. I noticed that his eyes widened in alarm and he stiffened. Katara and Sokka looked at me in confusion.

"What are you talking about? How could Bato have met you mom?" Sokka questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Avani received a letter from my mom saying that she met the chief of the Southern water tribe. If she met Hakoda then I'm betting she met Bato too." I explained. Their eyes widened at that before they too turned back to Bato. He stared me in the eyes before letting out a sigh.

"This really isn't something that _I_ should be telling you about. Hakoda should be the one to explain everything. But, I can answer your question. Yes, I met your mother."

"Why didn't you ever tell me? I'm guessing you knew about her being the descendant of an air nomad and my birth dad being fire nation. So why did no one ever tell me anything?" I questioned with a glare. Bato looked up at me wearily.

"Kai, it's not that we didn't want to, but it was for your own safety. We didn't want any word getting out about you so we never spoke about it. Plus, you were ten when we left. We planned to explain everything when you were 13." He explained. I looked down at the ground. It did make a little sense, but I deserved to know without having to learn about it from Avani. I should've known about my birth parents a long time ago. I sighed. I couldn't really get mad at Bato about it though.

"I'll have to get everything out of Hakoda the next time I see him."

* * *

"Hey everyone! Sorry I was gone so long!" Aang announced as he walked into the room. I looked up at him in surprise. _When did he leave?_

"Hey Aang! I didn't notice you left." Katara stated as she smiled at him. He just smiled back.

"Yup, but now I'm back! Sure could go for some delicious sea prunes!" Aang sat down before beginning to chow down.

"Mmm! * _HACK*_ Mmm!" He twitched as he forced a smile onto his face after spitting up some of the prunes. We all stared at him like he was crazy. I looked down at my bowl before looking back at the prune that Aang spat out. I grimaced and placed my bowl down.

"…I think I lost my appetite."

* * *

The next morning we prepared to head out to the beach with Bato. Aang went out to feed Appa while the rest of us got ready for the day. After I was finished I began to walk out into the courtyard.

"I'm gonna go find Aang!" I waved over my shoulder to the others as I left. I found Aang standing with one of the sisters. He looked nervous as she held a small, balled-up piece of paper.

"-you should be ashamed of yourself!...Littering in the courtyard." I could practically see him deflate in relief as she handed the paper back to him.

"I'm sorry, I'll take care of this." He promised. The sister walked away and Aang sneakily snuck the piece of paper back into his shirt. I looked at him in suspicion. Why would Aang be so nervous about a piece of paper? Unless…he's hiding something. _Oh, maybe it's a love letter to Katara!_ I giggled at that thought. Smirking, I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"So, what do you have there?" I asked cheekily. His head whipped towards me in alarm.

"Kai! I-um…it's nothing! I just picked it up randomly." He stuttered as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. I slid my hand off of his shoulder, discreetly snatching the piece of paper. I twirled away from him and smiled victoriously as I held up the ball of paper. Aang stared at me, shocked. I rolled my eyes. _Does everyone always forget I can do this?_

Aang ran at me and tried to grab it but I stepped away, giggling. Usually Aang would be able to catch me easily, but he was so flustered that he was flailing around. I straightened out the piece of paper in my hands to look at it.

"Seriously Aang, I promise I won't tease you _that_ much for writing a love letter to-." I cut myself off as I took a good look at the _map_ in front of me. _Oh…this isn't a love letter._ I looked back up at Aang with wide eyes. He was looking at the ground.

"Th-this is the map to Hakoda! You were hiding it? Why would you do that?!" I glared at him as he looked up at me dejectedly.

"What else was I supposed to do? You guys were gonna leave me…" He mumbled in excuse. I scoffed in disbelief.

"That's why? Because you thought we were going to leave you?! Aang even if we _were_ going to leave we would have every right to! You don't get to decide what we can or can't do. What about Bato? Were you just never going to give him the map to get back to the others?" I questioned as he continued to avoid my eyes. He stared at the walls until his eyes widened and his head snapped to me.

"Wait, if you _were_ going to leave? You aren't?" Aang asked, surprised. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course not. We wouldn't just ditch you like that. But, Sokka and Katara are gonna be so mad that you hid this." I stated. He looked back down at the ground, ashamed. After a minute he lifted his eyes to lock onto mine.

"…Are you really mad?" He asked as he twiddled his fingers. I sighed. I couldn't blame him for being afraid that we would leave. He doesn't have anyone except for us. Yes, I was mad. But, I would still stick by my promise to not leave him.

"Yeah I'm mad. You shouldn't have hidden it. But, I kind of understand where you're coming from. When Hakoda was leaving for the war I hid one of his weapons, hoping that he would have to stay. He found it of course, but he didn't get mad. I accepted that he had to leave and that I was left behind. But, I always had Katara and Sokka. And I promise that you'll always have me. Besides, it _is_ part of my duty as Azrita Zura to stay with you anyways." I replied as I smiled at him.

He looked up at me in disbelief before launching at me in a hug. He latched onto me and I patted his back. He squeezed harder and I suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Ack! Aang. Air!" He immediately let go and I breathed deeply in relief.

"Sorry Kai!" he patted my back. I smiled at him in reassurance before I thought of something.

"Aang, you're gonna have to tell the others about the map. The sooner the better. I'm not gonna rat you out; it's up to you to do it." I stated as I crossed my arms. Aang nodded nervously.

"But…they're going to be _really_ mad, aren't they." He sighed.

"No, they're going to be _super_ mad."

* * *

"This ship is sentimental to me. It was built by my father." Bato explained as we walked up to the water tribe boat. Katara and Sokka looked up at it in appreciation while Aang walked over to the front. I heard a gust of wind and glanced around Bato to look at Aang who was whistling suspiciously.

I glared at him and nodded my head towards the others. He looked at me with wide eyes before rubbing the back of his head nervously as he walked over to us. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sokka cut him off.

"Is this the boat he took you ice dodging in?" He asked in curiosity. Bato nodded before running his hand along the bottom.

"Yep, it's got the scar to prove it. How bout you Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice dodging." Bato chuckled. Katara and I looked at Sokka sympathetically as he looked down sadly.

"He never got to go. Dad left before he was old enough." Katara explained. I nodded as I patted my brother's shoulder.

"Oh, I forgot you were too young." Bato sighed sympathetically. Aang looked up in confusion.

"What's ice dodging?" He questioned. Bato looked over at him to explain.

"It's a rite of passage for young water tribe members. When you turn 14 your dad takes you-." He stopped talking as he looked over at Sokka and smiled.

"You know what, you're about to find out."

* * *

"Ice dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, and trust. In our village it was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs." Bato explained to Aang as he steered the boat.

"How are we supposed to ice dodge without ice?" Sokka asked as he stood at the front with Katara. Bato just smirked and pointed ahead.

"You'll be dodging _those_." We all looked ahead with wide eyes at the rapids and rocks. I put my hands over my eyes.

"We're dead…we're _so_ dead." I muttered. I heard Bato laugh and pat my shoulder before walking up to Sokka.

"Sokka, you steer and call the shots. Lead wisely." He nodded in understanding before running to the helm. Next, Bato looked at me and Katara.

"Katara, Kai, you secure the mainsails. The winds can be brutal, so be brave." We nodded before Katara grabbed the left side while I grabbed the right. Bato walked up to Aang and I realized the irony of the last position.

"Aang, you control the jib. Without your steady hand we all go down. Your position is about trust." Bato smiled kindly. Aang looked around with wide eyes.

"I know that! Why wouldn't I know that?! I'm the Avatar! I know about trust!" He stated defensively. I rolled my eyes. He's the most obvious person I've ever met.

"For this to be done right I cannot help. You pass or fail on your own." Bato explained as he sat at the front of the boat. I looked at the others nervously. What if we began to sink? Would he help then? I just hoped he would.

We approached the first rapids and my grip on the mainsail tightened as the wind began to pick up.

"Aang, ease up on the jib. Katara, Kai, steady!" Sokka called out as he jerked the boat around the first rock. I looked up as we approached a couple more.

"Aang, less sail! Katara, Kai, give him room!" He called out again. I released a little of the rope as Aang began to pull furiously on the rope. I jerked to the side as Sokka turned suddenly and water sprayed my face. I shook my head and looked ahead. _I really hope we don't die._

"Aang, helm to lee! Helm to lee!" Sokka called out as he grunted. Aang looked around with wide eyes.

"What does that even mean?!" He pulled on the rope anyways. I knelt down as the wind picked up and I could feel my arms burning as I held the rope steady. I glanced over at the others and was relieved that I wasn't the only one struggling. I sighed in relief as we passed by the huge rocks and went safely on.

"Great job!" Sokka smiled. We all smiled proudly as we looked at each other. But, my eyes widened as I glanced ahead. It was a whole _wall_ of rocks.

"There's no way through!" Katara stated as Bato stood up to look.

"We can make it!" Sokka insisted. I looked at him.

"I don't wanna die today, thank you very much!"

"Sokka, you've already proven yourself! Maybe we should-." Bato was cut off.

"Aang, I'm gonna need air in that sail! Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks. Kai, I want you to help Aang and heat the air in the sails." We all nodded and got in position. I stood next to Aang as we prepared ourselves.

"…Now!" As soon as Sokka said the word we all began to bed furiously. Aang shot air up into the sails, Katara began bending a huge wave under us, and I shot out a small stream of fire into the sails. Enough to heat it up, but not enough to set it on fire. I nervously glanced at the rocks as we approached. _Please don't kill us, please don't kill us, please don't kill us…_

I closed my eyes in anticipation, but nothing happened. Opening my eyes I saw that we had passed right over the rocks safely. I collapsed on the ground in relief. I looked over at Sokka as he smiled proudly.

"You know, that wouldn't have worked if there were more rocks on the other side. We could've been speared."

"…Shut up."

* * *

"The spirits of water bear witness to these marks! For Sokka, the mark of the wise. The same mark your father earned." Bato smiled as he drew a small, sloping line on Sokka's forehead with a dot underneath it. He moved to me and Katara next.

"For you two, the mark of the brave. Your courage inspires us." He drew crescent moons on our forehead. Katara looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back as Bato went to Aang.

"For Aang, the mark of the trusted. You are now an honorary member of the water tribe." Bato smiled as he drew another sloping line on Aang's forehead, except it didn't have a dot. I gave Aang a pointed look as his eyes widened guiltily.

"I can't." He stated, looking away. Sokka looked at him in suspicion as Katara smiled obliviously.

"Of course you can!" She insisted. Aang wiped off the mark and backed up.

"No, you can't trust me." He stated sadly. Katara's smile fell off of her face and she looked confused.

"Aang, what are you talking about?" Aang hesitated before pulling the paper out of his shirt.

"A messenger gave this to me for Bato." Katara grabbed it and unfolded it. She gasped in disbelief and her hand covered her mouth. Sokka began to walk up. Aang looked between them with regret.

"You have to understand! I was afraid-!"

"This is the map to our father! You had it the whole time?! How could you?!" Sokka interrupted him with a shout of fury. Aang flinched and looked away.

"Well, you can go to the North pole on your own! I'm going to find dad!" Sokka announced as he began to stalk away. I looked at him in disbelief. I didn't think he would _leave_ Aang because of this. Bato looked between us all.

"Now Sokka, I think you should-."

"Katara, Kai, are you with me?" Sokka cut him off as he looked back at us. Katara looked at Aang for a minute before closing her eyes regretfully.

"I'm with you Sokka." She stated as she turned to head toward him. She turned back towards me and I looked between my two siblings as they stared at me expectantly. I looked back at Aang who was staring down at the ground dejectedly. I had a promise to keep.

"…I'm staying with Aang." Everyone's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"Like I told him earlier, even though he hid this from us he still-."

"Wait, you knew?! And you didn't tell us?!" Sokka questioned angrily. Aang looked up in alarm.

"Don't get mad at her! She just found out this morning! The only reason she didn't tell you is because she wanted me to do it myself!" He defended. I opened my mouth to say something, but Sokka stopped me.

"Whatever, I bet you don't really care anyways! He's not _your_ dad!" Sokka shouted before stalking away. I winced at that. _Ouch…_ Katara looked at him in disbelief.

"Sokka!" She protested, but he was already gone. She looked back towards me with an apologetic face.

"He's just angry Kai. He doesn't mean it." She insisted, but I wasn't too sure. I just smiled at her weakly. She looked between me and the direction Sokka went unsurely. I nodded towards the other direction.

"Go with him, he needs someone." I smiled reassuringly. She looked at me regretfully before giving me a quick hug and going after our brother. I looked back at Aang who looked like he was gonna cry. I walked over and gave him a hug. He hugged me back as I patted his back comfortingly.

"It'll be okay Aang."

* * *

Aang and I sat on Appa's head as we watched Sokka, Katara, and Bato pack up. We both looked up as Katara and Sokka approached. Aang stayed curled up, but I slid off of the bison's head. Sokka was pointedly looking away, but Katara's eyes were locked on Aang.

"Good luck." She stated simply. Aang nodded.

"Okay, you too." He stated she looked away from him and to me as I walked up to my siblings. I was still a little upset that they were willing to leave Aang, but I was going to miss them anyways. Sokka finally looked up at me and he looked like he wasn't that mad at me anymore.

"…Sorry for what I said earlier. He's as much of a dad to you as he is for us. I understand why you didn't tell us either." Sokka stated. My eyes widened a little at that, but I smiled.

"Thanks, tell him I said hi." I said as I looked between them. Katara wrapped her arms around me in another hug. This time she was hugging tighter.

"Please be careful. You always seem to get into trouble. I'm gonna miss you." She sighed into my shoulder. I hugged her back just as tight.

"I'm gonna miss you guys too. I'll make sure to send you letters." I promised as I pulled away. Katara discreetly wiped at her eyes as she smiled at me and back away. Sokka pulled me into a hug next.

"Don't do anything too stupid." He stated. I smirked as I pulled away from the hug.

"I can't, you're taking all the stupid with you." He glared at me jokingly as Katara giggled into her hand. They both looked at me sadly before waving and turning to walk away with Bato. I crawled back onto Appa's head and nudged Aang's shoulder. He looked up at me with a small smile before we both looked down as one of the sisters walked up to us.

"Guess we should be moving on." Aang stated. The woman nodded.

"That would be best." We nodded before Aang pulled on Appa's reigns, leading him out of the courtyard. As we passed by the path that the others were taking we both looked down at the others sadly. I really was going to miss my siblings.

"I'm an idiot Kai." Aang sighed. I nodded and patted his head.

"Yes, yes you are. But, aren't we all at times?"

* * *

As Aang and I prepared to leave we began packing supplies. I went back up to the abbey to pick up some more stuff while Aang stayed to saddle up Appa. I walked into the courtyard and walked up to one of the sisters that were making perfume.

"Hey, do you guys have any extra-?" I was cut off as a giant beast suddenly broke through the gates. There were three people on its back and I glared as I saw Zuko and Iroh were two. The last person was a cool looking lady. She looked like the type of person that did whatever she wanted. Thug life. The beast sniffed around and suddenly it leaped at me. I squeaked and leaped out of the way just as it came crashing down in the spot I was just in.

"Hey! Watch it!" I waved my fist at them. Zuko's eyes widened as he saw me and a glare overtook his face. He really needs to loosen up. He's always glaring.

"You, where's the Avatar?" Zuko questioned as he glared down at me. Iroh just waved at me.

"Hello Kai! Lovely day, isn't it?" He smiled happily. I nodded, completely ignoring Zuko.

"Yup, it's a nice change from the South Pole. Hi lady! Who're you? You look too pretty to be travelling with prince pouty over there." I pointed at Zuko's face. He growled at me and I merely stuck my tongue out in return.

"I like her. She's not your girlfriend, is she? Looks a little young." The lady stated. I almost barfed at that.

"Ew, just no. He just happens to like stalking me and my friends." I explained. She nodded in understanding.

"He likes stalking people down apparently. The name's June."

"I'm Kai." I responded with a smile. Zuko finally had enough of our chit chat.

"Stop avoiding the question! Where's the Avatar?!" He shouted. I shrugged.

"Hey, your guess is as good as mine. You're the professional stalker."

"I'm not a stalker!"

"Sure, whatever you say. You've chased us all the way here from the South Pole. If that's not a stalker I don't know what is." I stated smugly. Zuko glared at me and I could practically see the smoke coming from his nostrils. Iroh was just chuckling while June smirked.

"That's it! I'll just take you with me. June!" He yelled. I gasped as June's pet snapped its tongue out at me and caught me on the arm. My body immediately fell limp and I fell to the ground.

"…Am I forever paralyzed?" I questioned as I tried to move my arm. June shook her head.

"No, you should regain feeling in a bit. Nyla's toxin isn't deadly or permanent." She shrugged. I nodded, satisfied. I didn't want to be carried around for the rest of my life. Then again, I could order Sokka to do things for me. Looking back up at Zuko I saw him holding a necklace.

"Hey! That's Katara's necklace you jerk!" I shouted. He glared down at me before hopping off of the beast.

"Yes, and it will take me right to your little friends." He stated as he picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes. He didn't know that Sokka and Katara weren't with Aang anymore.

"Dude, Sokka and Katara aren't with Aang. He's probably long gone." I stated from his shoulder as he climbed back onto the creature. I wanted to get him to believe that Aang had left.

"Don't try to trick me peasant. I don't believe a word you say." Zuko growled as he put me down on the back of Nyla. I looked up at Iroh.

"Well, that's just hurtful."

* * *

I grunted as Nyla jumped into the middle of the path right in front of my siblings. Riding this thing wasn't very fun from my point of view. I heard Katara gasp from in front of us.

"Kai! What did you do to her?" Katara glared at June and Zuko as she saw my prone form on the back of the creature. Sokka followed her gaze and saw me as well.

"Kai, are you okay?!" He questioned. I tried to nod, but I couldn't feel anything so I just decided to speak.

"Just fine and dandy. But, I would like to get off this ride now." I grumbled.

"So this is your girlfriend. No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you." June stated as she looked at Katara. I snorted.

"Ain't that the truth." Zuko ignored us and walked up to my siblings.

"Where is he? Where's the Avatar?" He questioned. I like how he didn't even try to deny the whole 'dating Katara' thing.

"We split up. He's long gone!" Sokka replied. I glanced over from Nyla's back.

"See? I was right! But did you listen to little ol' Kai? Noooo." I stated smugly. He glared at me before looking back at my siblings.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko questioned. I rolled my eyes. Never ask that question. It's just too easy to make it backfire.

"Pretty stupid." Sokka smirked, proving my point.

"Run!" Suddenly he and Katara both tried to dash off, but Nyla's tongue lashed out and caught them both making them fall to the ground, paralyzed.

"Join the club!" I called out. Sokka just grumbled into the ground as Zuko huffed.

"What are we supposed to do now?" He questioned. Nyla began sniffing around again and walked over to my siblings.

"It's seeking a different scent. Perhaps something that the Avatar held." June explained. Nyla poked at Sokka's pack and the map to Hakoda fell out. Uh oh…Aang held onto that thing for a good amount of time. And, who knows how often he bathes.

* * *

Nyla burst through the newly fixed gates and I smiled apologetically at the sisters.

"Sorry! Make way for the sniffing beast!" I shouted. Nyla walked to the middle of the courtyard and began sniffing around in circles.

"What's it doing?! It's just going in a circle." Zuko growled. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you Captain Obvious…" I muttered. Suddenly Nyla looked up and we all saw Aang in the sky, flying at us with his glider. He flew right above Nyla and she got up on her hind legs, trying to lash out at him. We all fell off of Nyla's back and groaned as we hit the ground.

"Aang!" Katara smiled as we barely lifted our heads. June quickly got up and snapped the whip at Nyla. The creature got back up and ran after Aang once June was on its back. Aang looked at the creature in alarm as it charged him. Right before Nyla reached him Appa suddenly charged in and rammed Nyla's side, knocking her away.

A couple of the sisters ran up and pulled Sokka, Katara, and I away from the center of the courtyard. Sokka and Katara looked over at me as we leaned against the wall.

"Kai, we're sorry we left you guys." Katara said with a small frown. Sokka nodded.

"Yeah, we shouldn't have just abandoned you like that." He added. I looked at them with a smile.

"I'm glad you decided to come back. Who knows how long Aang and I could've lasted on our own." I shivered at the thought. Neither of us could really cook and with the both of us together we would end up very side-tracked.

"You two would've never gotten to the North Pole. You'd probably go ride all the animals that you could." Katara giggled. Sokka nodded in agreement as I pouted. Just because it was true didn't mean that they had to say it like that. I glanced at the fighting and saw Aang and Zuko both lying motionless on opposite rooftops and June fighting Appa with Nyla.

June was launched from Nyla's back and she whipped Appa before landing right next to him. She gasped before rolling out of the way as Appa's foot slammed right where she was. I frowned at him.

"Bad Appa! Don't go squishing people!" I shouted. He just grunted before beginning the fight again. Aang and Zuko were fighting on the rooftops and fire and blasts of air were going everywhere. I looked down at Sokka and saw that he was moving his right arm slightly.

"I think I'm getting some feeling back." He smiled. Suddenly debris from the roof fell and crashed onto Sokka.

"…Ow." He muttered. I laughed at that before trying to move myself. I could barely move my limbs, but not enough to be of any help. I glanced at the fight again. I really couldn't tell what was going on. Appa was destroying roofs with his tail as Nyla and June ran around chasing Aang. Zuko was shooting fire everywhere. I glanced at Iroh and rolled my eyes as he stuck a perfumed into his sleeve.

Katara, Sokka, and I had managed to stand up and use the walls to support ourselves, but we still couldn't move that much. Suddenly one of the sisters came out and stuck a small container under each of our noses. I gagged as I smelled it.

"That's stuffs horrible!" I coughed as I waved my hand in front of my nose. Then I realized that I could move again.

"Oh…never mind." I smiled as I flexed my hand and stood up easily. Sokka and Katara were stretching their limbs as they got feeling back as well.

"That thing sees with its nose. Let's give it something to look at." Sokka smirked as he stood up fully. The sister pointed at the jars.

"The perfume?" Sokka nodded in affirmation. I looked at the perfume with a tilted head.

"Technically it doesn't 'see', it smells. So it wouldn't 'look' at anything." I shrugged. Sokka groaned.

"Must you always do that?"

"Yes, yes I must."

* * *

Us and the sisters gathered the pots near the edge of the courtyard before pouring out the contents. The smell of perfume filled the air as Katara bent the liquid right onto Nyla as she cornered Aang with Zuko. The beast growled and rubbed its nose in irritation. She began thrashing around and lashing her tongue out. It hit Zuko making him go down and Nyla even hit June who was trying to calm the creature down.

"June, no!" Iroh yelled dramatically as he caught June and fell down with her. Nyla ran around crazily before finally having enough and running out of the courtyard. Katara and Sokka walked up to Aang as he sighed tiredly. He smiled at them as I looked towards Zuko and company. Iroh had June lying with her arm around him.

"Uncle? I don't remember seeing you get hit with the tongue." Zuko stated in confusion. Iroh just shushed him before going back to lying comfortably with June, a smile on his face. I rolled my eyes with a smirk.

"Uncle Iroh, you dog."

* * *

"So, where do we go?" Aang questioned as we flew through the sky. Katara, Sokka, and I were sitting in the saddle as Aang steered.

"We're getting _you_ to the North pole." Katara stated, smiling.

"Yeah, we've lost too much time as it is." Sokka added. Aang looked back at us with wide eyes.

"Don't you want to see your father?" He questioned.

"Of course we do Aang. But, you're our family too. And right now, you need us more." Sokka stated with a smile. I patted his head.

"Aw, Sokka's growing up." I cooed with a smirk. He glared at me and began swatting my hand away as Katara spoke.

"And we need you." She completely ignored us and just continued from Sokka's last statement. Aang smiled at them before looking away.

"I wish I could give you a little piece of home Katara. Something to remind you." He stated. I snorted. He didn't offer to give me and Sokka something.

"I'll be okay." Katara reassured as she looked down. Aang looked back up at her.

"Still, just a little trinket. Maybe something like…this?" He questioned as he pulled out Katara's necklace. He must've snagged it from Zuko. Katara gasped in surprised.

"Aang! How'd you get that?" She asked as she took the necklace and put it back on. He just shrugged.

"Zuko asked me to be sure I got it to you." Aang smiled cheekily. I giggled at that. _Right, and I'm Appa's long lost sister._

"Aw, that's so sweet of Zuko. Would you give him a kiss for me when you see him?" Katara asked, playing along.

"Sure!" Aang promised with a smile. I snorted at that. If I didn't know that he liked Katara I would've thought he had a little bromance with Zuko. Katara quickly leaned in and gave planted a kiss on Aang's cheek making him blush like crazy and begin twiddling his thumbs. I groaned.

"Ew, can I get off? I want to leave now."

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Again, sorry for the day late post. Saturdays are practically my only free day, so I write most of the chapter then. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next time will be The Deserter!**


	15. Chapter 15: The Deserter

**Chapter 15: Deserter**

 **Hey guys! Sorry that this is a week late -_- I was in Washington last week and didn't have time to write a new chapter. Anyways, here's chapter 15! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the ocs.**

 **Thanks for the reviews!  
**

* * *

"This should give us a good idea about what's around here." Katara stated as we walked up to a bulletin board with posters on it. Sokka opened a bag and dumped some crumbs into his mouth before turning towards her to respond.

"See if you can find a menu, I'm starving." He groaned. I snorted. _Sokka and his stomach…this should be a running gag of some sort._

"I bet we could find something to eat here! The Fire Day's festival! Fire nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians…this would be a great place to study some real fire benders." Aang announced excitedly as he pointed at a poster with a dragon on it. He looked over at me with an apologetic smile.

"No offense Kai…" He added. I shrugged.

"None taken, I probably wouldn't be the best example anyways. And Fire Day's festival? That is so cliché." I stated, rolling my eyes. Katara giggled before nodding in agreement. Sokka walked to the back of the board and frowned.

"You might want to rethink that. Look at this." We walked around to the other side and saw posters of people. In the center was one with Aang on it.

"Hey, a poster of me!" Aang shouted happily.

"A _wanted_ poster. This is bad." Sokka insisted as Aang pulled the poster off of the bulletin board. I looked down at the numbers and whistled.

"Wow, your head is worth quite a lot Aang. Nice!" I held up my hand for a high-five with a grin on my face. Katara smacked my head and I clutched it with a glare of annoyance as she turned towards Aang.

"This isn't a good thing. I think we better keep moving." She insisted.

"I have to learn fire bending at some point, and this could be my only chance to watch some masters up close. Plus, Kai needs to master fire too. She can't just wing it all the time." Aang countered. I shrugged.

"Eh, it's gotten me this far hasn't it? I think I could go a little longer with winging it. But, it would be cool to see how the masters do it when they're not aiming for my face." I said as I turned towards my sister. If we could convince her, then Sokka would come too. It really would be nice to see this stuff and maybe I could pick up some tricks.

Katara looked down thoughtfully as she considered our words. Aang was basically pleading with his eyes at her as Sokka frowned in the background. I think he knew that Katara was wavering.

"…I guess we could go check it out." She finally consented. Aang and I cheered and high-fived happily as Sokka gaped incredulously.

"What?! You want to walk into a fire nation town where they're all fired up with their…y'know, fire?" He protested. I snorted. _Great description, it's so convincing! Not._

"We'll wear disguises and if it looks like trouble we'll leave." Katara stated as she began to walk towards Appa with Aang happily trotting along.

"Yeah…because we always leave before we get into trouble." Sokka groaned. I patted him on the back.

"I have to agree with you there. But we always survive anyways, so I'm not worried." I reassured with a smile. He stared at me for a second before sighing.

"That's not helping…at all."

* * *

"You guys stay out of sight here while we go to the festival." Aang smiled at Appa and Momo as we arrived at the top of a hill overlooking the village holding the festival. I giggled as Momo hid in a bush and Appa tried, unsuccessfully, to do the same. I patted his head.

"Nice try boy." Looking back over at Aang I saw him excitedly motion with his hands.

"Ready disguises." He ordered. Sokka, Katara, and I all put on dark cloaks and pulled the hoods up, hiding our faces. I looked at Aang and laughed out loud as I saw that he had merely pulled the back of his shirt over his head, hiding nothing.

"It's like you're a whole different person." Sokka stated sarcastically. Aang ignored him and began walking down the hill.

"Let's go!" He shouted back towards us. Sokka and Katara followed while I looked at Aang's back with a frown.

"Wait, we're actually letting him go like that? Nobody thinks it's way too suspicious that his tattoos are showing and he's wearing those bright clothes? No? Just me? Okay then…"

* * *

We arrived in the village and looked around at all the things going on. The people were all dressed in traditional fire nation clothing and everyone seemed very festive. I jumped back into Sokka in surprised as a giant, paper mache dragon came running by. Looking around I saw that everyone was wearing a mask. Katara seemed to notice this too.

"I think we need some new disguises…" She stated as she looked around.

"Where are we gonna get masks like that?" Sokka questioned with a frown. Just as he said that a man's voice shouted out.

"Get your genuine Fire Festival masks here!" Sokka's eyes widened in shock as Katara, Aang, and I walked over to the stand. Wow, the universe really loves proving Sokka wrong. Katara picked up a mask that looked like the face of a doll while I picked up one that had a fire design ironically.

I turned towards Aang and Sokka and saw that Aang was wearing a frowny face while Sokka had a smiling mask. Katara and I looked between them before locking eyes and switching the masks so they matched the right person. I nodded in satisfaction before we continued to walk forward. Aang looked over at one of the stalls and pointed his finger.

"Hey, there's some food." He announced.

"Finally!" Sokka ran over to the stand happily as we trailed behind.

"What do you have?" He questioned as the man turned around, a bag in his hands.

"Flaming fire flakes. Best in town." The man said as he held out the steaming bag. I looked at them suspiciously. This guy looked like the only one selling these things, so 'best in town' didn't seem all that impressive. And seriously! What is with these stereotypical names? Sokka grabbed them eagerly.

"I'll take 'em." He began stuffing his face with them and almost immediately he began gasping.

"HOT! Ah!" He shouted as he began fanning his mouth and trying to rid it of the spice.

"Flaming fire flakes, hot. Well, what do you know…" Katara stated sarcastically as Sokka continued to suffer. I snorted before grabbing one of the bags myself and eating a small handful. _Hm…these are pretty good!_ I smiled before thanking the man and turning towards the others. Sokka was looking at me with wide eyes. I rolled my eyes.

"Hello? Fire bender here. I think my body is practically built to handle heat." I said with a shrug. He glared at me and was about to retort when Aang cut in.

"Hey, look at this!" He pointed over towards a little puppet show where a bunch of little kids were sitting. We walked over just as it began. The curtains opened and a little fire lord puppet appeared as the kids cheered.

"Don't worry loyal citizens! No one can surprise the fire lord!" It announced as a puppet earth bender appeared behind him with a rock in hand. The kids began shouting in warning and just as the rock was about to be thrown, the puppet fire lord turned around and breathed out a stream of fire. The other puppet burned as the kids all cheered. I flinched.

"Geez, what are they teaching kids nowadays?" I mumbled as I looked at the scene. Well, at least now I know why all these people are so messed up. We all turned away and Aang hurriedly walked towards an area with a large group of people. There was a stage set up so I guessed that it was some sort of performance. Hopefully this one didn't include lighting earth benders on fire.

"Aang, hold on! Where are we going?" Katara shouted as he ran ahead in excitement.

"I dunno, but there's a big crowd so it must be good." Aang shrugged as we walked into the crowd.

"Knowing the fire nation, it's probably an execution." Sokka grumbled.

"Or another burning puppet show." I added. There was a man on stage and he was doing some sort of juggling trick with giant balls of fire. My eyes widened in awe as he sped them up and then suddenly brought the fire together, dispersing it. Doves flew out of the fire as it disappeared and I clapped along with the crowd as the man bowed. That was cool!

"I gotta learn that trick!" Aang and I shouted simultaneously. We turned to each other and high-fived again with big smiles. Then I noticed that Aang's mask was up, revealing his tattoos. I slapped his mask down onto his face harshly. He yelped.

"Ow! Hey!" He protested.

"Hide your tattoos! You're horrible at disguises." I stated as I tapped his mask. He huffed before nodding and turning back towards the stage.

"Thank you! For my next trick, I need a volunteer from the audience!" The performer announced. Aang immediately began jumping up and down with his hand raised.

"Oh! Me, Me!" He shouted out. Sokka pulled his hand down quickly.

"What do you think you're doing?!" He whisper/yelled.

"I want to get a closer look." Aang pleaded. I rolled my eyes. I think we've all had a lot of close looks at fire benders.

"It's better that we don't attract any attention to ourselves." Katara added. Just as she said this the performer walked over and pointed down at her.

"How about you little lady?" He asked. Katara back up nervously.

"Uh…"

"Aw, she's shy. Let's give her some encouragement folks!" The man yelled out, obviously not sensing Katara's discomfort. _Wow, this guy is probably horrible with girls._ One of the members of the crowd pushed Katara towards the stage. The performer took it from there and pulled her on stage, with my sister sending us one last pleading look.

"Aw, that could've been me…" Aang whined. I patted his back sympathetically as we watched the stage.

"This next trick is called 'Taming the Dragon'! You will be my captured princess." The man explained as he brought out a chair and tied Katara to it. I tilted my head as I noticed that the man had really girly hair. _He could be his own princess!_ I giggled at that thought as the performance began.

The man took fire from the four pedestals around him and formed it into a giant dragon. It looked awesome! _I should learn to do that! Just imagine me chasing around a bunch of people with a fire dragon!_

"Don't worry young maiden! I will tame this fiery beast!" The man yelled. But, wasn't he technically controlling the dragon with his bending anyways? That's cheating.

The man created a large lasso made out of fire and threw it onto the dragon's neck, leading it around. He frowned in fake worry as the dragon began thrashing around.

"It's too strong! I can't hold it!" The man yelled. Aang immediately ran towards the stage.

"We gotta help her!" He yelled. Sokka and I immediately held him back.

"No! We don't want to make a scene!" Sokka insisted.

"It's just a performance Aang! That guy is in complete control of everything!" I added. Aang seemed to ignore us as we looked back to the stage.

"The rope, it's breaking!" The performer yelled as his fire rope dissipated and the dragon headed for Katara. Just before it hit her Aang jumped onto the stage and bent a big tornado that sucked in the dragon. It sent sparks and confetti everywhere and it actually looked kinda cool. I looked to my left and saw that a strange, hooded guy had appeared and was looking at Aang in alarm.

"Who the heck are you?" I questioned. He looked over at me, but our attention was suddenly pulled away as the crowd started booing at the fact that Aang had ruined the show. Aang began doing a ridiculous monkey-dance as Sokka and I climbed onto the stage and untied Katara.

"Hey, that kid's the Avatar!" I heard one guy announce. I smacked my face as I realized that Aang's mask had fallen off. Soldiers suddenly looked our way and began running through the crowd to get to us.

"I think it's time to go!" Sokka stated as we pulled of our masks. Suddenly I yelped as a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me backwards towards a broken wall. Turning I saw that it was the same hooded guy from earlier.

"Come with me! I can get you out of here!" He shouted to us. Looking back towards the crowd I saw the soldiers getting closer.

"There they are!" One of them yelled. We immediately followed the guy through the wall and quickly ran off as he threw a smoke bomb behind us to make sure we got away. We ran back through the festival, running into some people on the way as more soldiers joined the chase.

"I'm calling Appa!" Aang announced as he pulled out the whistle and blew into it.

"I hope he can really hear that whistle!" Sokka yelled.

"Aang I'm gonna kill you if those soldiers don't do it first!" I growled. He just had to jump on stage, didn't he!

"This way!" The man led us into an alleyway before stopping abruptly.

"Okay…not this way." Soldiers had suddenly appeared from the end of the alley and were heading towards us. The hooded guy threw another smoke bomb behind us as we ran down a different alleyway. We ran into a dead end, of course. It was a giant cart filled with fireworks. Soldiers began closing in on us just as Appa appeared overhead.

"Appa, down here!" Aang shouted. Appa flew in and chased the soldiers away. The bison landed backwards, slamming his tail down and sending a giant wave of air at the men. We quickly climbed on board before lifting off. Soldiers gathered below us as the hooded guy threw _another_ bomb into the cart of fireworks, lighting them all and hiding us as we flew away.

"Nice touch setting off the fireworks." Aang complemented once we were a safe distance. Sokka nodded.

"You seem to know your explosives." Sokka added. I looked over at them.

"He threw a bomb into a box full of fireworks. I don't think it takes extensive knowledge of explosives to know what happens next." I stated. Sokka glared at me, but his retort was cut off by a chuckle. The hooded man pulled down his hood, revealing brown, monkey like hair. _Seriously, what's with the fire nation?! Either they look like monkeys, or they look like girls._

"She's right, but I am familiar with explosives." The man stated. Sokka's eyes widened in realization.

"You're a fire nation soldier!" He announced. My eyes widened. Why was this guy helping us if he was fire nation?

"Was. My name's Chey."

* * *

"I serve a man, more than a man really. He's a myth, but he's real. A living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a fire nation general…but wait, was he an admiral?" Chey trailed off as he rubbed the back of his head. We were sitting around a fire as he explained everything. I'm not sure if I trusted this guy. He was a couple apples short of a barrel.

"He was very highly ranked, we get it." Sokka offered irately. Chey nodded excitedly.

"Yeah! He was way up there! But, he couldn't take the madness anymore. He's the first person ever to leave the army and live. I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. It's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a fire bending genius! Some say he's mad, but he's not. He's enlightened." Chey finished. I stared at him weirdly. _Right…enlightened sounds like another way of saying crazy to me._

"You mean there's a fire bender out here who's not with the Fire Lord?! Besides Kai." Aang smiled excitedly. Chey looked at Aang in confusion.

"You have a fire bender on your team?" He questioned. I raised my hand.

"Present." I stated. Aang ignored us and continued.

"We've gotta go find this guy! He could train me!" He announced. Sokka glared at him.

"We're not going to find some crazy fire bender." He insisted. Chey stood up at that.

"He's not crazy! He's a genius! And he's the perfect person to train the Avatar. That's why I followed you into the festival." Chey explained. _Whoa, stalker alert!_ I looked at him warily. Chey also seems to have some sort of man crush on Jeong Jeong. _Hm…I wonder if Agni knows about this guy._

" _Agni?"_

" **Hello Kai! Lovely to hear from you! How-!"**

" _Hold up! Before you interrogate me, do you know about someone named Jeong Jeong?"_ It got silent for a minute before she responded in a much more defeated fashion.

"… **Yes, I know of all my people. Jeong Jeong is…he also has a disillusioned view of fire bending. Unlike others he doesn't pray to me, thanking me for his 'gift' of fire bending. Instead, he despises the fact that he is a fire bender. The sad fact is that there are hardly any fire benders who are against the Fire Lord and view fire through the side of life."** Agni sighed sadly. I looked down in sympathy. Agni was either hated for her fire, or praised for a gift that was used for destruction. Either way, she got the short end of the stick.

" _Is that why you chose me?"_

"That was the main reason, yes. You were fighting on the Avatar's side and even though you hated the fire nation you only hated what they were doing, not the fire itself." Vayu cut in. I thought about it. It made sense. I don't like the fire nation, but saying that all people in the fire nation are bad is like saying that all girls like make up. There are all kinds of different people. My thoughts were interrupted as my brother stood up.

"Look, thanks for the help but we're leaving for the North Pole in the morning." Sokka announced. Aang looked at him sadly.

"Sokka, this could be my only chance to meet a fire bending master who would actually be willing to teach me." He pleaded. Katara stood up also.

"It can't hurt just to talk to him." She added. Sokka looked at them, unimpressed.

"That's what you said about going to the festival! Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?!" He questioned as he turned to walk away, just to come face to face with a spear. He yelped in surprise as we were surrounded by a bunch of guys with their faces covered, holding spears. The guy standing in front of Aang lifted his face. He was the only one without a mask.

"Don't move." He ordered with a glare. I rolled my eyes and began swinging my arms.

"Oh look. I'm moving." I stated sarcastically. The man looked over at me in irritation as Katara elbowed me in the gut.

"Don't antagonize them!"

"What can I say? I'm in my rebellious stage. And stop hitting me woman!"

* * *

"Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Avatar!" The man said to Chey as they lead us through the forest. I giggled at his sentence and leaned closer to Aang.

"Chey not supposed to look for Avatar. Chey in trouble from Jeong Jeong." I stated in a deep, gravelly voice. Aang giggled through his hands as he hid his laughter.

"Hold on, you know these guys?" Sokka questioned as we continued to walk. Chey stopped walking and turned with a smile.

"Oh yeah! Lin Yi's an old buddy! Right Lin Yi?"

"Shut up. Keep moving." Lin Yi growled, pointing his spear at Chey who chuckled nervously and started walking again.

"Hmph, doesn't seem very friendly to me." I stated with a smirk. Lin Yi shot me a glare before we continued on. We finally arrived at a little clearing filled with huts and a river at the bottom of the hill. By the shore of the river there was a slightly larger hut that stood on the water.

"Go on. He see you only." Lin Yi ordered as he pointed at Chey. Chey smiled nervously.

"Oh, that's okay! We can chat later." He stated as he looked back at us. Aang looked at the hut excitedly.

"Is that where Jeong Jeong is? I need to talk to him right away." He said as he went to walk forward, only to be stopped by Lin Yi.

"No, you wait there. Go, now!" The man pushed Chey forward with his spear.

"Don't worry! Everything will be fine. He's a great man, great man!" Chey insisted as he walked down to the water. I rolled my eyes. This guy was obsessed with Jeong Jeong. Almost made me feel bad for the man. We were led into one of the other huts and left to wait for the outcome.

"You wait here." Lin Yi ordered as he began to walk out. I stuck my tongue out at his retreating form before turning back to the others.

"So, I guess we're stuck waiting." Sokka sighed with his arms crossed. Aang pouted and fell onto the floor with a huff as Katara and I sat down. Everyone stayed silent as the fire flickered in the middle of the room. I looked around at everyone as the silence continued. Looking out the door I thought about what I could do to pass the time.

"…So, how many huts do you think I could set on fire before Jeong Jeong comes out?"

"4."

"Sokka, don't encourage her."

* * *

"What happened?! Can I see Jeong Jeong now?" Aang questioned as Chey finally walked into the hut. He sat against the wall and held his head sadly.

"He won't see you. He's very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately." He explained as he looked up. Sokka sat up quickly.

"Finally! Let's hit the road." He insisted. Of course, Aang ignored him.

"Why won't he see me?"

"He says you're not ready. Says you haven't mastered water or earth yet." Chey replied. Aang looked at him incredulously.

"Wait, how does he know that?"

"He saw the way you walked into camp. He can tell."

"Well, that's not creepy at all." I muttered from the floor. Aang stood up with a glare.

"I'm going in anyways!" He announced as he marched out of the hut. I sighed. _Here we go again…_

"You guys should really listen to me more often." Sokka stated as he lay down. I shrugged.

"Eh, it's more fun this way."

"The way where we somehow end up getting chased by crazy people?"

"Yup, you can't say our lives are boring. Would you rather be back home helping Gran Gran with the chores?"

"Touché."

* * *

"Guys, he's gonna teach me!" Aang yelled out happily as he reentered the hut. We all sat up to look at him.

"That's great Aang!" Katara replied with a smile. Sokka just groaned and collapsed back onto his sleeping bag as Aang walked over and sat down.

"How'd you get him to agree? From what Chey said, Jeong Jeong was really against teaching you." I asked in confusion. He looked down and simply shrugged.

"I don't really know. One moment he was telling me to get out, the next he was agreeing to teach me. It was weird." He answered as he rubbed the back of his head. We all looked at each other before shrugging. He sounded bipolar to me. Aang seemed to remember something and looked over at me.

"Oh, he wanted to see you Kai. I think he knows you're a fire bender." He explained as my eyes widened in surprise. Well, if he could tell that Aang hadn't mastered all the elements just by the way he walked I guess it would be pretty obvious to him that I was a fire bender.

I nodded before standing up and walking out of the hut to head down to the river. I walked up to the front and pushed through the curtain of cloth in the doorway. Inside, Jeong Jeong was facing away from me in the center of a circled of candles in meditation.

"Come, sit." He ordered gruffly. I hesitated for a second before walking over and sitting down. Everything was silent for a second before the man sighed.

"Your friend is impatient. I hope you do not have that same flaw." He stated as he turned to face me. I noticed that he had two scars running down the right side of his face. I focused back on his sentence and shrugged.

"Aang and I are impatient on different things I guess. He's just really eager to learn from a fire bending master since I doubt there's a lot out there that would teach him." I explained defensively, trying to make Jeong Jeong understand. He just looked down with a frown before looking back up at me.

"I wish to teach you the ways of fire." He stated simply. I gaped at him. Hold up, so he was really reluctant to teach Aang, the Avatar, anything. But, he _wants_ to teach me?

"What?" I asked incredulously. He held out his hand and a small flame flickered to life and motioned for me to do the same. I lifted up my hand and concentrated. Almost immediately I formed a small ball of fire.

"I can tell that your bending is unrefined, self-taught. Yet, look at our flames and tell me what the difference is." He ordered. I held my flame closer so I could get a good look at it before looking back at Jeong Jeong's. I could tell what he was talking about. My flame seemed steady while his flickered dangerously. Mine had a sense of warmth to it, but not am extreme heat. It was more like comfort.

"You see? I can see potential in you and I wish to build upon your control. If this is your flame after only teaching yourself, I believe that under teaching you could excel." He explained as he extinguished his flame. I looked at him with wide eyes. This guy didn't seem like the type to give out compliments often, so this must be a big thing. I locked eyes with him before bowing slightly.

"It would be an honor to learn from you." What? You didn't think I could be respectful when I wanted to be? Please. Gran Gran practically beat manners into me. I just didn't use them with her out of spite. Jeong Jeong let a small smile onto his face before dismissing me. Before completely walking out the door I turned back with a smirk.

"Does that mean I can call you master JJ?"

"Get. Out."

"Okay~! Just asking."

* * *

"Aang, I get to learn with you!"

"Really?! That's awesome! We can become masters together!"

"That's great Kai! I know you two will become amazing fire benders."

"Ugh, I just want to leave…"

* * *

"Widen your stance. Wider! Bend your knees. Now concentrate. Good, good!" Jeong Jeong stated as Aang got into his stance and put on a ridiculous concentrating face. Master JJ had me meditating on the floor in the sun. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the warmth hitting my skin and directing my chi through my body as the other's voices became background noise.

"Wait! What do I do now?" Aang questioned.

"Silence! Talking is not concentrating. Look at your friend, is she talking? And your fellow pupil is meditating well. Even that oaf knows to concentrate on what he's doing!"

"Hey!" Sokka's indignant yell sounded from further away.

"But, what am I concentrating on?" Aang asked in confusion.

"Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire. It is in complete balance with nature."

"So when do I get to make some fire?"

"Concentrate!" JJ yelled as he began walking towards me. I vaguely heard Katara and Sokka giggling as Aang huffed in frustration. Jeong Jeong's footsteps got closer to me and I opened my eyes as he stopped in front of me. I looked up at him as he spoke.

"Have you finished redirecting your chi throughout your body?" I nodded in affirmation. He nodded before motioning for me to stand up and follow him.

"Hey! Where are you guys going?!" Aang questioned as he broke his stance. I shrugged in response as master JJ glared at Aang.

"Concentrate! Kai is more advanced than you and therefore needs to do other exercises. I will be back in a few minutes, and you better be concentrating!" He yelled. Aang pouted but nodded and got back into his stance reluctantly. I almost felt bad for him…almost.

* * *

"Where to master JJ?" I asked as we walked away. He sighed in frustration at the nickname before continuing on in silence. We walked further up the river unto we reached a small area of the river that had a bunch of rocks in it. He led me over to a flatter rock and had me get into the same stance that Aang was in earlier. My legs wide, knees bent, and back straight.

"Now, I want you to create a flame and try to see how hot you can get it while still being in control. After you reach that point I want you to keep it the same temperature for as long as you can. This is an endurance exercise for you inner chi. I'll be back after giving the young Avatar something else to do." He explained before walking off. I raised an eyebrow. This guy was a really hands-off teacher, huh?

I shrugged before holding my hand out in front of me and creating a flame. Closing my eyes I concentrated on directing my energy to my hand at a steady rate and molding the heat from the sun into my flame. I could feel the flame heat up and soon my face felt a little warm from its presence. Concentrating a little bit more I wanted to see how hot I could get it. I kept going until I felt the flame begin to flicker dangerously in my hands.

I guess that was my tipping point. Cracking one eye open I stared at the flame in my hand. And stared…and stared. _Uh…is it supposed to look like this?_ The flame in my hand wasn't completely red this time. The tips were red, but the part closest to my hand was a startling white. I could feel the heat radiating off of it as I stared. I examined it for a minute before shrugging and closing my eyes again. _Eh, I'm sure it's normal._

* * *

I stayed like that for who knows how long. Concentrating on keeping the flame steady and constantly feeding it energy so it wouldn't go out. I could feel fatigue setting in as the minutes ticked by. Eventually I had to stop and take a break. I cut off the energy to the flame and immediately my surroundings felt cooler as the flame disappeared. I hadn't realized it was that hot.

I collapsed onto the rock with a sigh as I stretched my aching bones. _I held that pose for hours! I'm stinkin tired!_ I sat up with another stretch as I looked back over in the direction that Jeong Jeong's hut was. _Well, I guess I should go see what master JJ wants me to do next._

I hopped off of the rock and leisurely walked towards the hut down the river. Just as I arrived there I saw Aang walk out of the hut with a frown on his face. He sat down by the river with a huff of frustration. I raised an eyebrow at the scene before walking over to him and sitting down next to him.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I looked over at him. He glanced over at me before throwing his hands out.

"It's not fair! Jeong Jeong has you doing cool fire bending stuff while I'm stuck on top of a mountain learning the correct way to 'breathe'. How come you don't have to do this too?!" Aang whined as he collapsed onto the ground. I snorted at his outburst.

"What I'm doing isn't that exciting either. He had me standing on a rock for hours just holding a flame in my hands. I'm totally exhausted! He said it was an endurance thing for my chi." I explained. Aang just rolled onto his side.

"At least you get to do _something_ with fire…" He mumbled. I sighed.

"Aang, if it makes you feel better technically I _am_ cheating. I have Agni, remember? And I've had longer to practice fire bending than you have. You can't expect to become great at it overnight. It takes time. To be honest I've already done some breathing exercises. Agni had me do them after my first few times bending. So don't think that I just got to skip them entirely." I stated. Aang looked up at me and his frown softened.

"I just…I don't want to be stuck doing the basics for the entire time. I want to learn the actual thing!"

"Well, I bet If you show Jeong Jeong that you're willing to be patient he'll move you along faster." I said with a slight smirk. Aang sat up quickly with a smile on his face.

"Really?!"

"Yup." I nodded. He jumped up before sitting in a meditative position and closing his eyes.

"Alright, I'm gonna be extra patient from now on!" He promised. I giggled at that before walking into the hut to talk to the master.

* * *

"Master JJ?" I called out as I entered the room. He sighed before turning to face me.

"What is it?" I walked over and sat in front of him before responding.

"Well, I finished the endurance exercise. Is there something else I should work on now?" I asked him. He seemed to think about it for a second before pulling a scroll out of his cloak. It had a fire nation seal on it. He handed it to me after examining it for a second.

"Here, this is a scroll filled with different level katas for you to learn. Work on the first one for now. I believe you are advanced enough to master the first one." JJ said as he stood up. I looked at the scroll in my hands before looking up at my master with a smile.

"Thanks master JJ!" I said as he looked down at me. He glared at me before walking out the door, with me trailing behind.

"You can thank me by not calling me that anymore."

* * *

Outside Aang was still in the position I left him in. He didn't open his eyes as we approached.

"I thought about what you said. I promise I'll be more patient." Aang stated as he continued to keep his eyes closed. Jeong Jeong examined him for a second before speaking.

"We're going to work with fire now." He stated. Immediately Aang's head popped up and he did a backflip.

"Oh yeah!" He cheered. He smiled at us brightly before composing himself.

"…I mean, let us begin." He said seriously. I snorted at that. Aang trying to be serious? Hilarious. Jeong Jeong didn't change his expression as he grabbed a leaf out of the air and burned a small hole in the center. He walked over to Aang and handed him the small leaf.

"Concentrate on the fire. I want you to keep the flame from reaching the edge of the leaf for as long as you can." He ordered. Aang groaned again as he got into his stance. Well, looks like Aang already broke his promise to be more patient.

"Master, there is trouble!" I jumped in surprise as one of Jeong Jeong's minions appeared out of nowhere.

"What's going on?" Aang questioned as Jeong Jeong began to run off.

"Concentrate on your leaf!" He ordered before disappearing. Aang glared at his retreating back angrily before looking over at me and Katara.

"This is the worst fire bending instruction ever! All he does is leave me alone for hours to concentrate or breathe." He whined. I smirked.

"You don't want to breathe?" I whistled innocently as his glare turned to me. Katara smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'm sure there's a good reason." She promised. I nodded.

"Yeah, Agni and Vayu told me that all the elements have a certain characteristic that you have to master first. For fire its control." I explained. He just groaned and pouted.

"But I'm ready to do so much more!" He insisted. Then a certain expression covered his face that I knew spelled trouble. I knew because I have that face all the time. He got into his stance and began doing his breathing exercises. Smoke began pouring from the leaf and in a few seconds a small flame formed in his hands.

"I did it! I made fire!" Aang shouted excitedly. I looked at his fire nervously. It was flickering way out of control and I could tell that the flames were fluctuating.

"Aang, that's great! But, you should take it slow." Katara insisted. She was walking closer to him, but I grabbed onto her sleeve. I didn't know what Aang would do. I knew he was completely ignoring us. He moved his fist and yelped as the flame suddenly grew in his face.

"Careful!" Katara yelled. Aang teetered on the rock dangerously before regaining his balance as the flame shrunk again.

"Now that's fire bending!" Aang smiled excitedly. I looked at his flame. It was steadily getting more out of control.

"Aang, you have to be careful! You fire is-." He cut me off by firing a stream of fire off into the distance.

"Aang, you'll hurt yourself!" Katara tried again, taking another step towards Aang. I could tell her words were going in one ear and out the other. I suddenly got the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Aang was completely out of control! He began tossing the flame between his hands, doing tricks before stopping for a second in thought.

"I wonder how that juggler did it." He suddenly brought the flame above his head and spun, spreading the fire out in a ring around him. My eyes widened as everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Katara was too close, too close for me to stop the flames from hitting her. I should've held onto her sleeve tighter. She cried out in pain and cradled her hands as the fire viciously burned her and my eyes widened in horror.

"Katara!" Aang and I shouted out simultaneously as she knelt on the ground. I ran to her side as she sobbed in pain.

"I'm so sorry!" Aang yelled as he jumped over to us. I glared at him and pushed him away from my sister in anger. Again he didn't think things through before acting and it back fired! He hurt my sister and I wasn't about to let him do it again.

"Get away from her! I told you to be careful!" I shouted in his face as his eyes widened in guilt. Good, he deserved it. Sokka ran over as he heard the sobbing.

"Katara, what's wrong?!" He questioned as he knelt by her side. He looked up at Aang.

"What did you do?!" He asked with a glare. Aang backed up.

"I-it was an accident! I-it I was- Katara I'm so-!" He was cut off as Sokka tackled him to the ground angrily.

"I told you we shouldn't mess around with this! Look what you did! You burned my sister!" He yelled. Katara stood up before running away in tears. I glared one more time at Aang before running after her. I caught up to her by the river side. She opened her hands and looked at the raw burns covering them. I quickly ran over and gently coaxed her into kneeling before hovering my hands over hers and taking some of the heat from the burns so that they would heal better.

After doing that I lowered her hands into the water. She hissed in pain at first before sighing in relief at the cool liquid. We both looked down at her hands and gasped as they began to glow. She lifted them out of the water and I stared in amazement as the burns disappeared.

"You have healing abilities." We looked over in surprised as Jeong Jeong appeared out of nowhere.

"The great benders of the water tribe sometimes have this ability." He explained as he walked up to us.

"I've always wished to have been blessed like you, free from this burning curse." He stated as he looked down at the water, almost enviously. I frowned at that. Agni was right about him.

"But you're a great master. You have powers I'll never know." Katara countered. He shook his head.

"Water brings healing and life, but fire brings only destruction and pain. If forces us burdened of its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually we're torn apart." Jeong Jeong finished with a whisper. I saw Katara look at me with something akin to concern in her eyes, but I wasn't gonna have it. I formed a small flame in my hand and looked at it.

"Water can make tsunamis and floods. Air can make tornadoes and storms. Earth makes earthquakes and landslides. Every element can cause destruction and every element has its benefits. Yeah, fire can cause destruction too, but it's also like life. Fire gives warmth and cooks food. After a forest fire new life can come from the ashes. The sun is fire and it gives light to the world and lets us survive with heat. Fire is meant to be life." I smiled at the pulsing flame in my hand before letting it extinguish and looking over at Jeong Jeong. He stared at me for a second before looking down at the river, a small smile on his lips.

"You are refreshingly naïve." He simply stated. I shrugged.

"Maybe, but at least I'm not ashamed of what I am." I said firmly. Katara smiled at me proudly while Jeong Jeong let out a small chuckle.

"No, you're not. Perhaps naivety is something I could do a little more with." He said. I smiled at that, but a blast of fire in front of us drew all our attention. More blasts of fire landed in the water in front of us before one came straight at us. Luckily Jeong Jeong was fast enough to stop it. Looking down the river I saw that fire nation boats were heading our way.

"Go get your friends and flee!" Jeong Jeong ordered. Katara nodded and turned to run away and grabbed my arm, pulling me along, when I was about to go back to JJ.

"Aw, Katara!"

"Don't you Katara me!"

* * *

Katara dragged me all the way back to camp and we saw Sokka packing up Appa. He turned to us in concern.

"Katara, are you alright?" He questioned. Katara nodded.

"I'm fine, we've gotta get out of here. Where's Aang?" She asked quickly. Sokka pointed down at Jeong Jeong's hut and I let Katara go by herself. If I saw Aang right now I might just punch him. I looked at Sokka and saw that he wasn't paying any attention to me. Smirking, I quietly backed into the forest before turning around and running back to the river. Master JJ was gonna need help.  
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv  
I arrived at the spot we had left Jeong Jeong at and saw that he was standing in front of a group of fire nation soldiers. The one at the front was very familiar. I gasped.

"It's general monkey!" I whispered in realization. Suddenly I saw Aang burst out of the trees next to me and he ran out into the open.

"Jeong Jeong!" He yelled. I quickly ran out after him towards our master. The monkey man waved his hand and a group of soldiers surrounded Jeong Jeong. He looked over at Aang and I before smirking. He surrounded himself with a ball of fire just as the soldiers attacked him. When it dispersed, he was gone. I let out a sigh of relief.

"It's a trick! He's run off into the woods! Find him!" Monkey ordered before looking over at Aang and I.

"Let's find out what my old master has taught you." Monkey man sneered as he began to walk towards us. I looked at him in shock.

" _You_ were Jeong Jeong's student?" Aang asked incredulously.

"Until I got bored." He replied flippantly. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Aren't you guys like the same age?" I asked. He growled at me before launching his fists forwards and sending a blast of fire our way. Aang and I leapt in opposite directions as the flame brushed by us. Monkey man shot another blast of fire at Aang and set a tree on fire behind him.

"I see he taught you how to duck and run like a coward. But I doubt he showed you what a fire bender is truly capable of!" With that he shot a giant ball of fire at us. Aang ducked under it easily while I just deflected it. The monkey's eyes widened as he looked at me.

"I heard there was a fire bender in the Avatar's little group, but I didn't actually believe it until now. You're a traitor to your own people." He growled. I shrugged.

"Eh, I was never one of you. I grew up in the South Pole." I shot a fire blast back at him, but he blocked it before sending multiple blasts at me and Aang. Aang pulled me out of the way as more came in. Looking to the side we saw that he had hit more trees and set multiple things on fire other than us.

"No self-control…" Aang muttered. He locked eyes with me before looking over at the boats. I smirked. I like this plan.

"Stand and fight Avatar!" Monkey man shouted. Aang put on a smirk as he replied.

"Oh, were we fighting? I thought you were just getting warmed up!" He taunted. I nodded.

"That wasn't even a warmup for me! I bet my Gran Gran could do better, and she's not even a fire bender!" I added. He glared at us.

"You think you're so funny!" He launched more fire at us in anger. I could've laughed. A grown man getting riled up by some 12 year olds? Wow. While Aang continued to taunt monkey man and draw his attention, I ran back into the trees and around the back. I heard a shout of fury and knew that Aang was doing his job. I ran to the furthest boat to the back and lit my hand on fire. I heated it up again and was startled when the white appeared. Looking over at the monkey's fire I knew that this wasn't normal. _Hmm…maybe it's just a side effect from Agni?_

I shrugged. I didn't really care. All I needed it to do was burn this boat to the ground, or is it water in this case? I set my hand on the side of the boat and smiled in satisfaction as the flame quickly caught and spread all throughout the boat.

"I don't know why but I thought you'd be better than Zuko!" I heard Aang shout, making me giggle. Suddenly a blast of fire shot all the way out and went right next to my head, making me yelp in surprise. Apparently that was a sore spot for him. I ran over to Aang and quickly lifted my hands to disperse another fire blast just before it hit him. He smiled at me gratefully before we both jumped out of the way as another blast came. I grunted as my back hit the railing before rolling to the right as a stream of fire burned right where I used to be.

I jumped up and dove right into Aang as we reached the front of the boat. We stood up and faced Zhao with a smirk as he came stalking angrily towards us.

"You've lost this battle." Aang announced smugly before grabbing me and jumping into the air as the monkey shot another stream of fire. He looked at us incredulously.

"Are you crazy?! Neither of you have thrown a single blow!" He shouted. Well, technically I did light one of his boats on fire, but he didn't need to know that.

"No, but _you_ did." Aang stated pointing around. Zhao looked and gaped as he saw his ships sinking into the water.

"You shot fire at wooden boats, what did you think was gonna happen?" I questioned with a smirk. Aang nodded.

"Jeong Jeong said you have no restraint." He finished before we both launched ourselves off of the last boat, leaving a fuming monkey behind. We landed into the water laughing.

"Have a nice walk home!" Aang called back. I giggled as I saw the fire on the boat explode.

"Someone's having a tantrum." Aang nodded in agreement, a smirk on his face.

"Aang, Kai, come on let's go!" Sokka yelled. They were at the shore with Appa waiting for us. Aang and I swam over before boarding Appa and lifting off.

"Wait, where's Jeong Jeong?" Aang questioned as he looked back from Appa's head.

"He disappeared. They all did." Sokka explained as he looked down. I looked down also and saw that the entire camp was completely deserted. I looked closer.

"Hey, is that Chey down there? Did they leave him behind?"

* * *

"Aang, you're burned." Katara said as we sat in Appa's saddle. Aang looked down at his forearm. There was a small burn running along his arm.

"Let me help you." Katara stated as she drew water from her pouch and collected it on her hand. Taking deep breaths she placed her hand on the burn and it glowed blue. When she removed her hand the water dripped away, revealing Aang's healed forearm. Aang stared in amazement.

"Wow, that's good water." He stated.

"When did you learn how to do that?" Sokka asked. Katara just shrugged.

"I guess I always knew."

"Oh, well thanks for all the first aid over the years! Like when I fell into the greaseberry bramble, and that time I had two fishhooks in my _thumb_!" Sokka yelled with a frown. Aang looked at him surprised.

"Two?" He questioned, confused. Katara smiled sheepishly while I smirked.

"He tried to get the first hook out with another fishhook." Katara explained. I giggled.

"He cried like such a baby." I suddenly remembered something and turned towards Aang. He looked at me in confusion as I drew back my arm and punched him in the side.

"Ow!" He yelped. Katara looked at me in disapproval while Sokka smirked.

"There, now don't hurt Katara again." I stated, leaning back onto Appa's saddle. My work is done. Aang pouted before nodding in agreement. Sokka high-fived me as Katara just sighed and held her head.

"I don't know whether to think that was sweet, or if I should scold you…" She muttered. I smiled up at her innocently.

"Let's go with sweet." I offered. I get enough of Katara's scoldings as it is.

"Oh and there was that time that Kai pushed me out of the watchtower. Thanks for healing that up."

"You deserved it. You said that falling out wouldn't hurt that much. At least _I_ didn't cry when I fell."

"I did not cry!"

"Right…you bawled like a baby."

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Again, sorry for the week delay! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next one will be The Northern Air Temple!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Northern Air Temple

**Chapter 16: The Northern Air Temple**

 **Hey guys! Gosh, I'm really bad at this whole updating thing…I recently got the idea of a new fanfiction, and as you might've seen, I started working on that. Writing these chapters became somewhat of a chore and that's never fun, so I needed a break from this story for a bit. But, I'm back now! Thanks for putting up with me, I'd promise to try harder but so far I've been really inconsistent so I'll just promise to never give up on this story. Anyways, here's the next chapter of the story, I hope you enjoy!**

 **And P.S: I realize that I was really unclear on if Kai told Aang about her mom or not, so I'll just clear that up. Yes, she told them about her mom after The Storm. I'll put some flash backs in this chapter so you'll get to see their reactions.  
**

 **Thanks to LeopardFeather, Princess of Miracles, Guest, and Elizabeth0058 for the reviews on the last chapter!**

* * *

"So travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange, large bird talking take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man. A member of a secret group of air walkers who laugh at gravity and laugh at those bound to the earth by it." The elderly man finished his story with a wave of his hand as some people clapped. Aang smiled as he turned towards us.

"Aren't air bending stories the best?" He questioned enthusiastically. I shrugged.

"Eh, I think the story of how Sokka got two fish hooks in his thumb was better." I commented. Katara ignored me and smiled at Aang.

"Was it realistic? Is that how it was back then?" She asked.

"I laugh at gravity all the time! Hah, gravity!" Aang laughed as he proved his point. Our attention was drawn to Sokka as the storyteller stood in front of him, his hat held out.

"Jingle jingle!" the man insisted. Sokka frantically searched his pockets and held out his hands, only to reveal a bug and some crumbs. I flinched. I don't even want to know how long that bug's been in there…

"Sorry…" Sokka apologized. The man grumbled as he turned away.

"Cheapskates." He mumbled. I crossed my arms as I glared at his back.

"Hmph, it wasn't a story worth paying for anyways. What a grumpy old geezer." I huffed in annoyance. Katara smacked the back of my head.

"Be nice Kai." She scolded. I shrugged. I'll be nice when that guy gives _us_ money for listening to his stories in the first place. Aang stood up and walked over to the man with a smile.

"Hey, thanks for the story." He said as he neared. The man simply held out his hat towards him.

"Tell it to the cap, boy." He stated as he shook his hat a little, making a coin fall out. As Aang began to search his person for a coin Momo jumped off of his shoulder and picked up the coin, dropping it back into the man's hat. The elderly man saw the lemur's actions and smiled as he pat his head.

"Aw, much obliged little bat-thing." He thanked. I stared at Momo. I guess he did kinda look like a bat from a certain angle, and if it was really dark.

"It means a lot to hear air bender stories. It must've been a hundred years ago your great-grandpa met them." Aang said as Momo hopped back onto his shoulder. The man looked at Aang incredulously.

"What are you prattling about child? My great-grand pappy saw the air walkers last week!" The man insisted, pointing at the _very_ old man behind him who waved at us. I raised an eyebrow at the man. I wasn't sure that I trusted this guy to tell left from right, let alone when and where he saw air benders. But, just glancing at Aang's face I could tell what he was thinking and honestly I was curious too. He turned towards me with a big smile.

"Kai, do you think these could be other air benders that escaped too?" He questioned in excitement. After I told him about my mom, he's always been on the lookout for possible clues, so far this is the best one we've got. I really hoped we found other air benders, and not just because I wanted to see my mom. Aang deserved some piece of his old home. I thought back to when I revealed the story of my mom to him and his determination to find other air benders.

* * *

 _"Your mom was a what?!" Katara, Sokka, and Aang all shouted out in shock with Aang being the most surprised. I shrugged as I rubbed the back of my head._

" _Yeah, she was an air bender. Apparently some of them escaped before the fire nation got to them." I explained, again. Aang stuck his head in his hands as we all turned towards him. He had known that it was a possibility that I was from the air nation, but hearing it confirmed must've been a big shock to him. Katara set her arm on his shoulder in concern._

" _Aang? Are you okay?" She question kindly. Aang was silent for a second as we all watched nervously. Suddenly he started shaking with laughter and jumped up into the air, a giant smile on his face. He ran over to me and pulled me into a giant hug._

" _Okay?! I'm amazing! This is the best news ever! If your mom's family was able to escape then others definitely did too! I'm not the last air bender anymore!" He yelled out happily as he let go of me and began dancing in circles. My_ _siblings and I all shared looks at his sudden burst of glee, but we soon smiled as we watched Aang's happy dance. He suddenly stopped jumping and turned towards me._

" _After this war is over I'm going to find all the other air benders out there and help rebuild the air nation! We can look for your mom together Kai!" He announced in determination. I highly doubted that as the Avatar he would have much time to himself at all, let alone time to rebuild a whole nation. But, I know that when Aang is determined he can do anything. So, I nodded with a smile as I gave him a high-five._

" _It's a deal!" I promised with a smirk. Katara and Sokka both crossed their arms as they looked at the two of us._

" _Uh, don't forget us. There's no way you'd survive without us." Sokka stated with a smirk as I rolled my eyes. Katara nodded in agreement._

" _Yeah, we're in this with you too." She added. I smiled in appreciation at my siblings. We'd all been through a lot together and I feel as though we need each other around. Despite being an awesome 12 year old, I was still just a 12 year old. Aang and I both looked at each other before he beamed and turned to my siblings._

" _It'll be another adventure together!"  
_

* * *

I shook my head to clear the memory as I smiled at Aang and turned towards my siblings.

"Looks like we're taking another detour!" I announced brightly. Sokka grumbled.

"Again?!"

* * *

"Hey, we're almost to the Northern air temple! This is where they had the championships for sky bison polo." Aang explained as we flew over the peak of a mountain. Katara knelt next to Sokka who was currently whittling.

"Do you think we'll actually find air benders?" She questioned excitedly. Sokka didn't even look up as he answered.

"Do you want me to be like you, or honest?" He asked. I rolled my eyes. Not the best approach man. But I had to agree, Katara could be a bit _too_ optimistic at times. Like I predicted, Katara sat back and crossed her arms, an offended look on her face.

"Are you saying I'm a liar?" She questioned. Sokka glanced up.

"I'm saying you're an optimist. Same thing basically." He replied as he looked back down at his whittling. I smirked as I looked at them.

"You two are like black and white. Katara's an optimist and Sokka's a pessimist. You complement each other very well." I stated. Katara turned towards me with a raised eyebrow as Sokka just shrugged, agreeing with my point.

"And what does that leave you with?" Katara asked as she looked at me. I shrugged.

"I'm a realist. I can see the good and the bad while you two look at only one side. I guess that's because I grew up with the two of you and got both sides mixed." I explained before smirking.

"That means I'm the best~." I sang. Sokka looked up at me with a glare as Katara merely rolled her eyes. He opened his mouth to retort, but Aang's shout cut him off.

"Guys, look at this!" Aang shouted. We all looked up and gasped as we saw the temple come into view. It looked like the Southern air temple, except for all the people flying around.

"They really are air benders!" Katara gasped with a smile. Aang stared at the sight for a minute before he leaned back on Appa, his arms crossed.

"No they're not." He protested, sounding upset. Sokka ignored his tone and pointed back at the temple.

"What do you mean they're not? Those guys are flying!" He insisted. Aang looked back up as he frowned.

"Gliding maybe, but not flying. You can tell by the way they move they're not air bending. Those people have no spirit." Aang explained. Just as he did one of the gliders swooped towards us. Katara, Sokka, and I had to duck as the boy flew over Appa. He looked back at us, laughing gleefully as he flew around Appa.

"I don't know Aang, that kid seems pretty spirited." Katara announced with a smile as she pointed him out. The boy looked back at us with a smile as he flew off. Aang stood up with his glider and smirked as he jumped into the air and flew after him. I rolled my eyes as I watched.

"Testosterone." I grumbled. Boys will be boys after all. Suddenly more gliders appeared around us and flew around Appa, making him grumble and shake his head sending Katara smack into Sokka as I ducked out of the way.

"We better find some solid ground before it finds us!" Sokka stated. We quickly guided Appa down to the balcony of the temple as the other gliders landed with us. I looked back up into the sky and watched as Aang and the boy flew around each other, both trying to outdo the other.

"Go Teo!"

"Show that bald kid how it's done!" Some of the other kids shouted out as they watched Aang and this 'Teo' loop around each other. I smirked as I saw Aang hop off of his glider and use the airball to ride across the wall before jumping back and grabbing onto his glider again. Someone's trying to show off.

Smoke suddenly started pouring from the back of Teo's glider as he swooped around and began to draw an image in the sky. I laughed out loud as I saw that he drew a picture of a very unamused Aang. The image matched the air bender's current face as he huffed and looked away.

My siblings and I walked over as the two boys landed back on solid ground. Aang stood next to us as some other kids ran over to Teo's glider and pulled off the wings. My eyes widened in surprise as I realized that he was actually in a wheel chair. His legs were paralyzed. No wonder he seemed to love the air so much. He wheeled over to us and pulled his goggles up on his head, revealing his eyes.

"Hey, you're a _real_ air bender! You must be the Avatar! Th-that's amazing! I've heard stories about you!" Teo announced as a giant smile lit up his face. Aang rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Thanks." He replied as Sokka walked up to Teo's chair.

"Wow! This glider chair is incredible." He stated as he looked at the wings. Teo merely smiled and began to wheel towards the temple.

"You think this is good wait until you see the other stuff my dad designed." We began to follow the boy through the archway into the main building. I walked up next to him and held out my hand.

"I'm Kai by the way. Those are my siblings Katara and Sokka. You already met Aang." I introduced the gang with a wave of my hand and a smirk in Aang's direction. Teo grabbed my hand and shook it as he looked up at me, his cheeks getting slightly redder.

"N-nice to meet you, I'm Teo." He replied before letting go of my hand and wheeling a bit faster. I tilted my head in confusion as Katara bumped my side.

"Looks like someone has a crush~" She sang quietly with a giggle. I sent her a glare.

"Please, I only just met the guy. I don't have a crush on him." I promised with a scoff. Katara shook her head.

"Who said you were the one with a crush?" she questioned smugly. I just stared at her in confusion as we walked further into the temple. Katara stared at me for a few seconds before sighing.

"You always complain about how you're surrounded by oblivious people…I guess birds of a feather flock together." She stated before walking ahead. I glared at her as I ran to catch up.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

* * *

"Wow!" Sokka exclaimed in excitement as we entered the large room. It was a tall tower filled with pipes and a bunch of weird contraptions.

"Yeah, my dad is the mastermind behind this whole place." Teo announced proudly as Sokka ran in. Teo motioned to the steam that occasionally shot out of the pipes.

"Everything's powered by hot air. It even pumps hot air outside to give us some lift when we're gliding." He explained. I whistled. That was impressive.

"This place is unbelievable." Aang muttered as he looked around, sounding upset. Teo smiled brightly at him, unaware of the tone.

"Yeah, it's great isn't it." He agreed. Aang just looked to the side with a slight frown.

"No, just unbelievable." He responded before walking away. I watched him go with a slight frown as Katara put her hand on Teo's shoulder in reassurance.

"Aang used to come here a long time ago. I think he's a little shocked it's so…different." She supplied before going over to make sure the Avatar was okay. Sokka just smiled as he spread his arms out.

"So better!" He corrected. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm.

"At least _try_ to be sympathetic." I sighed. He just glared at me before continuing to examine the temple. Looking around at this place I could tell that it must've been very different for Aang with all these pipes and contraptions around. Lots of murals were smashed through and statues were broken. I wondered how Vayu would feel about people messing with his people's temples. He didn't seem like the type to really get angry about anything. Agni on the other hand was a very different story. Shivering slightly, I decided not to contact the spirits right now.

Glancing over at Teo I could see that the boy looked down heartened at Aang's reaction to his home. He said his dad made all this stuff, so it was inevitable that he wanted the Avatar to like it too. I walked over and gave him a small smile.

"Don't worry Teo. Aang will come around, just give him time to adapt to the change. Are there any parts of the temple that aren't changed? That might make him feel better." I offered with a shrug. Teo seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding and giving me a smile.

"I think I have a place in mind. Thanks Kai." He said happily. I nodded before patting his arm again and walking away, glad I could make him feel better. I saw Katara comforting Aang, so I walked over to my brother and grabbed his ear, pulling him away from all the pipes.

"C'mon, you can look at the cool stuff later." I stated as he struggled under my grip.

"B-but it's steam powered! That's awesome!"

"And you're a nerd, tell me something I don't know."

* * *

Teo led us over to a separate part of the temples. It looked to be some kind of air bender dormitory with a lot of rooms surrounding a big courtyard. Like I suggested, it was completely untouched by pipes and weird contraptions. Aang seemed brighter as we looked around.

"I'm glad to see that _one_ part of the temple isn't ruined." He said as he and Katara examined one of the statues. I saw Teo flinch at the word 'ruin'. Probably not the best word choice for Aang to use. Suddenly we all heard a voice shout out in the distance.

"Look out!" The head of the statue that Aang and Katara were looking at was busted through as a giant boulder tied on a rope swung through the wall. I squeaked as I leaped out of the way of the disembodied statue head. We coughed as the dust cleared and a man with a small group behind him walked through the hole they just made. I noticed that he was bald on the middle of his head while the rest of his hair pointed up like some ears. People have funky hair.

"What the doodle? Don't you know enough to stay away from construction sites? We have to make room for the bath house!" The strange man exclaimed. I shot him an incredulous look. They almost killed us for a bath house?! He didn't even apologize, the jerk. He's all like 'you should know better'.

"Do you know what you just did?! You just destroyed something sacred for a stupid bath house!" Aang exclaimed angrily. The man just seemed to brush right over it.

"Well people around here are starting to stink." He stated simply. I rolled my eyes. This guy was seriously not getting the point.

"This whole place stinks!" Aang retorted before sending a blast of air at the wrecking ball that busted down the wall with a grunt. It flew off the mountainside and crashed to the floor. I hoped that there was no one down there.

"This is a sacred temple! You can't treat it this way. I've seen it when the monks were here, I know what it's supposed to look like." He argued with a glare. My siblings and I shared concerned looks as we watched him. I really hoped he didn't blast the crazy-haired man off the mountain.

"The monks? But, you're 12." I will never understand how people are so good at guessing ages. It's kinda freaky. Teo wheeled over to the man with a smile.

"Dad, he's the _Avatar._ He used to come here a hundred years ago." Teo explained. His dad? Well if you give the man some eyebrows and proper hair, I guess I could see the resemblance.

"What are you doing? Who said you could be here?!" Aang demanded as he got in the man's face. I grabbed his shoulder and slightly held him back, not wanting him to attack anyone in his anger. Aang shot me a glare as he glanced over at me, but I just shot him a look. We locked eyes for a second before Aang took a couple breaths and his posture relaxed slightly. He nodded at me in understanding before looking back at the man. I sent a smile at his back before removing my hand from his shoulder, knowing he was fine.

Glancing at Teo he seemed to be slightly upset now. I tilted my head in confusion, wondering what was wrong. His dad drew my attention back as he scratched his beard and began to speak.

"Hmm…doing here…A long time ago, but not a hundred years, my people became refugees after a terrible flood. My infant son, Teo, was badly hurt and lost his mother. I needed somewhere to rebuild and I stumbled across this place couldn't believe it! Everywhere, pictures of flying people! But, empty, nobody home. Then! I came across these fan-like contraptions!"

"Our gliders." Aang interrupted with a glare. Teo's dad ignored the look and nodded excitably.

"Yes, little light flying machines! They gave me an idea, build a new life for my son in the air, then everyone would be on equal ground! So to speak. We're just on the process of improving upon what's already here and after all, isn't that what nature does." The man explained with a nice speech. Glancing at my siblings I could see them wiping tears, Katara using Aang's shirt might I add.

I secretly wiped a couple tears of my own. Hey, it was a nice story okay! Don't judge. Aang didn't seem to buy the sappy story as he walked over to the hole in the wall.

"Nature knows when to stop." He stated simply. Teo's dad, gonna call him Professor cause he looks like one albeit a crazy one, nodded as he too looked out the hole.

"I suppose so. Unfortunately, progress has a way of getting away from us…Look at the time!" Professor shouted suddenly as he looked at a few candles that stood by the walls. He then turned to the group of guys behind him.

"Come, the pulley system must be oiled before dark." He ordered as Sokka walked over to the candles.

"Wait, how can you tell the time with that thing? The notches all look the same." He questioned as he examined the candles. Professor walked over to my brother to explain.

"The candle will tell us, watch." Suddenly the middle candle popped four times in succession. Sokka look amazed as he turned to the man.

"You put spark power in the candle!" He exclaimed in understanding. Professor nodded.

"Four flashes, so it's exactly four hours past midday. Or as I call it, four o'candle." He explained. Sokka bust out laughing at the poorly done joke. Professor looked happy as he stood straight and held up his left hand which had some wooden contraption that covered three fingers.

"If you like that, wait til you see my finger-safe knife sharpener! Only took me three tries to get it right." He stated as he...oh, those fingers were fake. He tossed the three wooden fingers at my brother who caught them with a horrified look and a manly squeal. He ran off to follow the Professor as we all watched. Teo turned towards Aang with a smile as he pointed off to the side.

"Hey Aang, I want to show you something."

* * *

"I just can't get over it, there's not a single thing that's the same." Aang stated as we walked down a hallway that was also filled with pipes. Teo wheeled over to the side.

"I don't know about that. The temple might be different, but the creatures that live here are probably direct descendants of the ones that lived here a long time ago." He said as he picked up a hermit crab and handed it to Katara. She smiled down at it as it crawled along her hands.

"You're right, they're kind of keepers of the temples origins." She added as she handed it to Aang. He looked down at the small creature with a soft smile as he stoked its shell. I bent down and picked up one of my own.

"It is their home after all. That isn't going to change just because they're sharing it with someone new." I added as the crab's claws ticked my hands. Teo interrupted in excitement.

"Besides, there's one part of the temple that hasn't changed at all.

* * *

"Hey, it's just like the one at the other air temple!" Katara noticed with surprise as we arrived at the door. She was right, the door had the same air bending contraption on the front that kept the door shut.

"Only an air bender can open the door, so the inside is completely untouched just the way the monks left it. I've always wondered what it was like in there." Teo stated as he tried to hide his hopeful expression. Aang stared at the door as Katara and I looked over at him.

"Aang?" She questioned. He looked down with a slight frown on his face.

"I'm sorry, this is the last part of the temple that's the same as it was. I want it to stay that way." Aang stated determinately. Teo's face fell slightly, but he shot a small smile at us anyways.

"I completely understand. I just wanted you to know it was here." He stated. Aang smiled back at him before we all turned to walk back out the hallway.

"Thanks."

* * *

"The wind will carry you. It supports something inside you something even lighter than air. And that something takes over when you fly." Teo explained as Katara and I stood at the edge of the temple grounds, looking out over the cloudy expanse below us. We held gliders over our heads, preparing to fly. I smiled excitably as Katara nervously stepped back.

"I've changed my mind. I think I was born without that something." She insisted as she looked over the edge in fright. Teo just laughed her off.

"Impossible! Everybody has it!" He countered

"Spirit, that's the something you're talking about." Aang interjected as we all looked up at the sky. Teo smiled softly as he watched others glide by.

"Yeah, I guess it is…" Turning back to my sister I gave her a reassuring smile as she still looked nervous about the whole thing. Aang shot me a challenging look that I rolled my eyes at. Like I was gonna chicken out. This looks fun! I patted Katara's arm, gaining her attention, before shooting her a smirk.

"See you in the air!" With that I leaped off the edge of the temple and laughed as I nosedived at the ground. Pulling up I felt the air carry me up as I began to fly. I vaguely heard Katara's screams turn into laughs as she and Teo followed me. I began to twirl a little in the air as I looked down below me. This was a lot different than flying on Appa. I can see why Teo and Aang love it so much. You just feel so free up here while everything below you gets small. Katara flew up next to me with a smile.

"I can't believe we're flying!" She shouted in excitement. Aang joined us on his glider as we soared through the air.

"Just make sure to keep your mouth closed so you don't swallow any bugs." He stated as I saw Momo doing just that.

"Speaking from experience?" I giggled as Aang smiled sheepishly and nodded in affirmation. Katara giggled as well before looking forward again.

"Teo was right about the air. All I had to do was trust it and let it carry me." She said.

"Even though Teo's not an air bender, he really does have the spirit of one!" Aang agreed as he went to land by the boy. I leaned myself to the side to try and copy him, but the temple was coming at me way to fast. Panicking a little, I held my right arm out and shot a burst of fire out of it, slowing my descent.

I crashed to the ground, rolling a few times before stopping on the floor. My glider lay a few feet away as I looked up at the sky. I vaguely heard Aang ask if I was okay as I let out a sigh of relief and laughed a little bit.

"I think I need to learn how to land." I said through my giggles. Aang nodded in relief once he saw that I was okay and lent me a hand so that I could get up. Looking over at Teo I saw that he was gaping at me with his finger raised. I tilted my head in confusion before remembering that I fire bended. I looked down at my hand before laughing nervously.

"Right, guess we didn't tell you…well, it's a long story."

* * *

After explaining my tale to Teo I was glad that he seemed to understand my position. He still seemed a little nervous around me, but at least he wasn't demanding my head on a stake or something.

"Wow, that's incredible. You're parents must've been something." He said in awe once I told him about my parentage. I nodded in agreement. I'm sure they were. We sat there in silence for a minute before Aang stood up and brushed himself off.

"Speaking of air benders, I've been thinking Teo. If you want to see what's in that room, I'd be happy to open the door for you." He stated with a smile. Our attention immediately moved from my fire nation heritage and we both smiled at the Avatar.

"Great!" Teo exclaimed in excitement. Katara's shouts suddenly interrupted.

"Wait! How do I land this thing?! And no Kai, I'm not going to face-plant like you did!" I closed my mouth before I could offer the suggestion.

"Wha-Ack! Bug, bug! That was a bug!"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm finally going to see what's behind this door." Teo said. After finally getting my sister out of the air we had gone back to the temple and the locked door. Aang walked up to the door. He took a deep breath before shooting air out of both hands and into the pipes on either side of the lock. The three locks on the door rotated like the ones at the Southern air temple and the door opened, revealing the horrors that lay within.

Inside were weapons, contraptions, and in the middle of it all a giant fire nation insignia on some balloon-like thing. I stared at the room as we all stepped inside.

"…This is a nightmare." Aang murmured in horror. Suddenly footsteps followed us in.

"You don't understand!" Professor's voice exclaimed as we all turned to look at him. Sokka was following the man, a look of shock on his face. Aang turned on Teo's dad with a glare.

"You're making weapons for the fire nation!" He announced, pointing a finger at the professor. Sokka turned on the man with his own glare.

"You're making weapons for the fire nation?!" He questioned, throwing his arms out to the side. I glanced over at Teo and saw the anger and disappointment in his eyes at his dad's work.

"Explain all this, now!" He ordered. Professor lowered his head as he began to speak.

"It was about a year after we moved here, fire nation soldiers found our settlement. You were too young to remember this Teo. They were going to destroy everything, burn it to the ground! I pleaded with them, I begged them to spare us. They asked what I had to offer. I offered…my services. You must understand! I did this for you." He promised. Tears filled Teo's eyes as he turned away from his father and looked down. I glared at the man as he walked away in shame. Turning towards the others I huffed.

"We can't let this go on. These inventions in fire nation hands could be devastating for others." I stated as I looked at the large balloon behind us. Aang nodded in agreement.

"I think it's about time we show the fire nation they don't belong here."

* * *

"When are they coming?" Aang questioned as he, Teo, and I walked into the room. Professor looked towards the candle as it popped a couple times.

"Soon, very soon." He announced with a shaky voice.

"You can't give them more weapons." Aang stated simply as he glared at the man. I nodded.

"You're only helping them stay in power. If anything you should be giving these weapons to the other side." I added. The professor shook his head as he held out his hands.

"If I don't give them what they want, they will destroy this place." He argued. Ironically, his little balloon prototype chose that exact moment to burn and fall to the floor. As his dad went to put out the flames Teo wheeled closer.

"How can I be proud of you when your inventions are being used for murder?" He asked as his dad looked towards the floor in shame.

"…I need some time to think." He replied. I rolled my eyes. _He doesn't have time to think about this! Just say okay and we'll kick fire nation butt!_ Suddenly a bell began ringing and Professor looked up at us in alarm.

"You need to leave, go!" He ordered. We all glared at him in determination.

"You're not getting rid of us that easily." I stated in determination. He stood up and shooed us off to the side of the room where we hid behind some tables. I couldn't really see what was going on, but I could hear everything crystal clear.

"You know better than to keep me waiting. Give me what you owe us so I can be on my way!" A fire nation man ordered. He sounded old. I wondered if he looked like a monkey.

"Well?! Is there a problem?!" He questioned as the professor stayed silent. After a minute the man finally responded.

"N-no! Right this way." He said, giving in. Suddenly Aang jumped out of our hiding spot and air bended the door closed, jumping in front of it.

"The deals off." He stated with a glare. I ran out there also with Teo trailing behind. _Huh, this guy doesn't look that much like a monkey…_

"The Avatar?" The elder man questioned in shock. The professor stepped forward.

"Aang, don't get involved!" He ordered desperately.

"If I don't get what I came for, the fire nation will burn this place to rubble!" Not-so-monkey general said in anger. Aang just glared at him as he pulled his arms back.

"Get out of here! You're leaving empty handed!" He shouted, sending a blast of air at the man that slapped him in the face. I had to laugh at that. The man glared at me before turning towards Aang again.

"Then the destruction of this temple will be on _your_ head!" The man announced, escaping back through the shaft that lifted him up here. I stared at the floor for a second before looking towards the others.

"Well, that was a nice chat."

* * *

"This is bad, very bad!" Sokka exclaimed in fright as we stood on the temple balcony. I held back any sarcastic comments for now as I thought about something to do.

"Aang, what do we do? How can we possibly keep them all away?" Katara questioned, looking down the mountain.

"I'll tell you how. We have something they don't, air power! We control the sky. That's something the fire nation can't do. We can win!" Aang announced as he pointed up at the kids who were _still_ gliding. Probably not good to be gliding around as fire nation soldiers plan to kill us.

"I want to help." We all turned at the interruption and smiled at the professor. Aang nodded.

"Good, we'll need it." He smiled. I gave the man a thumbs-up before remembering that maybe if the guy knew I was a fire bender it might give him ideas for something.

"Oh, by the way I'm a fire bender. Will that help?"

"What?!"

* * *

After some more explanations we went back up to the temple to come up with a plan.

"We finally got the war balloon working thanks to Sokka. This boy's a genius!" Professor announced happily. Sokka smiled brightly as he looked away.

"Thank you, you're a genius." He returned.

"Thank you!" I rolled my eyes at the scene. These two were made for each other, I swear.

"See, the problem with the old war balloon…" All I heard from that was blah blah blah-bliddy blah. _Ugh, smart talk makes me sick._ After the explanation on the 'wonders of the war balloon' I finally tuned back in.

"Okay, so we have four kinds of bombs. Smoke, slime, fire, and-."

"Stink! Never underestimate the power of stink." The professor interrupted. He looked over at me and waved me forward.

"Kai, for you I have a special type of bomb. These puppies work like smoke bombs, but they release flammable gas instead of smoke. They can cover a lot more ground than the average fire bomb and can do a lot of damage if you light the gas up." He explained as he handed me a sack full of the things. I smiled, almost evilly, as I strapped the back over my shoulder.

"Sweet, thanks Professor!" I exclaimed. The man stared at me in confusion.

"Professor? I have a name you know. I'm-."

"Ain't got no time for that. Let's go!

* * *

Once we were all loaded up we waited on the temple's balcony for the fire nation to show. You could feel the tenseness in the air as we all stared down the mountain.

"They're coming!" I heard a little girl yell. Personally, I think the kids should be all put somewhere else, but hey. That's just me.

"Are we ready?" Teo asked as we looked at each other. Katara looked worried, but she nodded.

"Yes, but where's Sokka with the war balloon?" She questioned. Aang jumped off of Appa's head.

"We'll have to start without it." He announced. We all nodded and prepared to go to battle. Teo, Aang, and I all grabbed our gliders and prepared to take off. Katara would be on Appa reloading our bombs. I had my personal bombs strapped to my side. Katara walked over to us as we stood on the edge of the balcony.

"Be careful, alright?" She ordered as she hugged me after giving Aang and even Teo hugs.

"Don't worry, I'm too stubborn to die without making fun of Sokka at least one more time." I stated with a smirk. She rolled her eyes but smiled and walked over to the other end of the balcony. Aang, Teo, and I all gave each other nods before launching ourselves over the edge of the temple, the people cheering below us.

We looked down the mountain and saw the fire nation soldiers marching up. I locked eyes with Aang before we dove head first through the cloud cover and straight in the faces of fire nation soldiers. I heard them shout in alarm as people began dropping bombs in their faces. I shot my right hand forward, shooting fire blasts at the unprepared men and knocking them off the trail. It seemed like these foot soldiers weren't fire benders. Good for us.

"Take 'em out of the sky!" I heard one guy yell before I promptly threw a slime bomb straight at his face. Aang used his air ball to run over the snow that was on the ledge above the soldiers, sending an avalanched at the men.

"We've got them on the run! We need more slime!" Aang yelled over the wind. Teo and I nodded as we all went back up the mountain and flew by Katara and Momo who handed out bombs to everyone. Suddenly chains shot past Appa and connected to the mountain side. We all looked in horror as metal tanks began crawling up the mountain. Katara and Momo were luckily okay on Appa, so we all went to attack the metal machines.

Aang managed to get one of the chains off the wall, but the tank merely shot another one up. I growled in annoyance as I saw fire benders inside the machines begin shooting at us. I spotted the small opening that the fire benders were shooting out of and tossed one of my bombs inside. When the fire bender went to shoot again, the whole thing blew up. I sighed in relief. _At least I know one way to get rid of these things. But, there's no way I can take them all out like this._

Looking over at Aang my eyes widened in surprise as I saw Katara take a couple of the tanks out with water bending. They were apparently weak against water. Focusing back on the tanks in front of me, I landed on the ground and tossed two bombs inside two different tanks, rolling out of the way as they exploded behind me. I lifted my hands to block a few fire blasts sent my way.

I thought back to Katara. _Hmm…these things are weak against water. Snow is just frozen water._ Putting my hands in front of me I shot giant streams of fire at the snow beneath the tanks. It immediately melted and the water began falling off the mountain, taking a few tanks with it as they lost traction. I smirked at the scene before noticing that many of tanks hadn't fallen off, the water was all gone and now the tanks were going on ground.

"Aw, c'mon! You guys have more lives than an immortal cat!" I groaned before picking up my glider and going back into the air. I spotted Aang and Katara on the temple balcony and quickly landed by them, this time not on my face.

"What do we do?!" I questioned as we all looked down at the approaching tanks and men. Katara looked up at the sky desperately, clasping her hands.

"C'mon Sokka, where's that war balloon?" She asked. Suddenly a giant balloon rose to the sky next to us, carrying Sokka and the professor. Speak of the devil and he will come I guess. They dropped giant sacs of slime on top of soldiers, sending them sliding down the mountain. But the tanks kept coming, launching chains up the temple side. We all began to desperately unhook the chains, but they just kept coming.

Suddenly I looked up and saw Sokka and the professor drop their engine into a chasm below them. We all waited for something to happen with baited breath. Suddenly large explosions rocked the mountainside and I had to cover my face as smoke blew up everywhere. After a minute I cautiously lowered my arm from my face and looked down as the smoke cleared. The mountain was filled with cracks and chasms in random places, but the temple was okay. And even better, the soldiers were running away.

"They're retreating!" Aang announced as everyone cheered happily. We were cut off as Sokka and the professor suddenly fell by us, the balloon heading towards the floor.

"We're going down!" Sokka yelled frantically.

"No, Sokka!" Katara and I yelled as they fell past the cloud cover. Aang immediately jumped after them on his glider. We sighed in relief as Sokka attached a rope to Aang's glider and it carried him and the professor to safety. I looked down at the falling balloon, a bad feeling in my stomach.

* * *

"You know what? I'm really glad you guys all live here now. I realized it's like the hermit crab. Maybe you weren't born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home. Now you protect each other." Aang said as we all stood on the temple balcony again, the sun beginning to set behind us. Teo smiled up at us with his dad by his side.

"That means a lot, coming from you." He said happily. Aang returned the smile. I walked up to the Avatar and gave him a hard pat on the back, making him falter slightly.

"Aw, our little Aang is growing up!" I cheered, grabbing one of Aang's cheeks and pulling. He smacked my hand away with faux annoyance.

"I'm the same age as you!" He whined. I smirked.

"Girl's mature faster than boys. It's a known fact." I insisted. He opened his mouth to argue, but closed it in defeat. I win!

"Aang, you were right about air power. As long as we've got the skies we'll have the fire nation on the run!" Sokka cut in, moving the conversation away from girls being better than boys. Everyone cheered at that, but I noticed the professor looking down the hill with a worried expression. I copied his face, remembering the balloon. I wondered if he had the same bad feeling as me. Either way, I doubted this would be the last we'll see of that air balloon.

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Again, I'm super sorry about the delay! I hope you still enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**

 **Next time: The Waterbending Master**


	17. Chater 17: The Water Bending Master

**Chapter 17: The Waterbending Master**

 **Hey guys! Well, at least this chapter didn't take me a month… (^_^). I hope you enjoy this chapter! –Cleo**

 **Princess of Miracles: Yeah, since Teo didn't have a crush on Katara I thought 'why not Kai?' so that was fun! I was so tempted to have Kai shoot a fireball at the balloon before it went down, but can't go messing with important plot devices. Thanks for the review!  
**

* * *

"I'm not one to complain-."

"Yes you are."

"Shut up Kai, but can Appa fly any higher?" Sokka whined as Appa's feet dipped into the water. I rolled my eyes as I leaned back on the saddle, looking up at the clouds.

"I have an idea, why don't we all get on _your_ back and _you_ can fly us to the North Pole!" Aang suggested, turning towards him with a frown. I snorted.

"Let's drop him off Appa right now and see if he _can_ fly." I mumbled. Katara gave me an amused smile as Sokka promptly ignored me.

"I'd be happy to! Climb on everyone! Sokka's ready for takeoff." He said, leaning over on the saddle. Momo happily climbed up on his back as Katara sighed.

"Look, we're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight." She stated. I shrugged.

"I'm just cranky cause I haven't gone to the bathroom in forever." I countered.

"And for what?! We can't even find the Northern Water tribe, there's nothing up here." Sokka groaned. We all went back to sulking until suddenly the water began to splash beneath us. Looking down I gasped as I saw ice bergs rise in front of us. We screamed as Aang quickly tried to dodge it. More rose up and one of them managed to catch Appa by the foot, making the bison spin out of control.

"Ugh, I'm gonna be sick!" I groaned as Appa crashed into the water, abruptly ending our ride. Sokka immediately backed up behind Katara and held her in front of him like a shield, the wuss. Looking around I saw boats full of people coming towards us from all sides, the water around Appa freezing like a cage.

"They're water benders! We found the water tribe!" Katara announced in excitement. I sighed in relief and leaned over the side of the saddle, looking at one of the boats.

"Oh good, can one of you take me to the nearest bathroom?"

* * *

"Look, there it is!" Aang announced, pointing forwards at a giant wall made of ice and snow. It was very detailed and made the wall back home look like a kid's playpen.

"The Northern Water Tribe…" Katara whispered in awe.

"We're finally here." Sokka smiled. I leaned down and pet Appa on his side.

"Nice work boy! I'll make sure you get lots of good food here!" I smiled. He grunted in what I assumed to be happiness. The water benders on the boats lowered their hands and a large tunnel formed in the wall, making a path for us. Once we got in we arrived in an area surrounded by tall walls of ice. Water benders stood on top of the walls and pushed their hands down again, making some sections of the walls lower and pouring water into the boxed off area we were in. The water rose and lifted us with it.

"I can't believe how many water benders there are!" Katara said, looking around. This was a big culture shock compared to our home. Back there we had small tents and a ten foot barrier with only one water bender. Here, there's so much more of everything!

"We'll find someone to teach us no problem." Aang agreed happily. The wall in front of us finally lowered, leading us into a canal that ran through the entire city. I looked around in awe at the giant houses of snow and ice. There were so many people and the city itself was really pretty. Boats ran through the city and the canals were like roads. A boat went to pass us on the side and I saw a beautiful girl with white hair riding it. Sokka's face immediately got dumber as a blush appeared.

"It's really beautiful…" Katara stated, taking the sights in. Sokka crawled out the back of the saddle and onto Appa's tail to watch as the girl's boat got further.

"Yeah…she is." He said dreamily. I snorted and kicked him into the water.

"Cool off, lover boy."

"Kai!" Katara frowned. I shrugged as Sokka resurfaced with a glare.

"C'mon, he was totally asking for it and I can help dry him off. Now get back into the boat before you get hypothermia."

* * *

After arriving in the big city we were taken into the main hall. A feast was set up and we sat at the front of the room as the guests of honor. Everyone looked up as the chief of the tribe, Arnook, stood to speak.

"Tonight, we are here to celebrate the arrival of our brother and sisters from the Southern Tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special. Someone who many of us believed disappeared from the world until now, the Avatar!" He announced. Immediately applause rang throughout the hall as people cheered for Aang who waved shyly back.

"We also celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday! Princess Yue is now of marrying age!" He announced happily. More cheers rang out as the white-haired girl from earlier stepped forward with a smile. I elbowed Sokka in the side lightly.

"Well, isn't that lucky for you." I said smugly. He just glared back at me, a blush forming on his face.

"Thank you father. May the great ocean and moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times." Yue said eloquently. I had to admit, she did have a very princess-like air around her.

"Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform!" We all looked over to the stage as an elderly man and two younger men began moving into stances. Water flowed from the three pots in front of the stage and it began moving around in elaborate tricks. I whistled, impressed as Aang and Katara watched excitedly. But, something more interesting drew my attention as the princess sat next to Sokka.

"Hey, Sokka, Southern Water tribe." He greeted in a 'suave' voice. He really needed to work on his intros. Yue smiled warmly as she nodded at him.

"Very nice to meet you." She greeted. Aw, what a nice girl. Pretending she didn't notice how hard he was trying. Awkward silence followed for a minute before Sokka decided to say something stupid.

"So…you're a princess, huh? You know, back in my tribe I'm kinda like a prince myself." He said with a smirk. I couldn't hold back my laughter and fell to the floor clutching my stomach as Katara giggled beside me.

"Prince of what?" She scoffed.

"A lot of things! Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here!" He said with a glare, giving me an evil look too.

"My apologies, Prince Sokka." Katara said in a sarcastic tone with an equally sarcastic bow. Yue glanced over at me as I caught my breath, sitting back up.

"You must be Kai! I've heard a lot about you. You're the fire bender, right?" She questioned.

"That's me! Traitor to the fiery cause and all that." I affirmed jokingly with a wink. She giggled at my reply as her father leaned down towards me.

"I don't have any problems with it, but please keep fire bending to a minimum within the city for…obvious reasons." He suggested with a smile. I nodded in understanding. Wouldn't want to be the reason that the city melts. Sokka seemed to jump at the chance to gain Yue's attention again.

"So, it looks like I'm gonna be in town for a while. I'm thinking maybe we could…do, an activity together?" He asked nervously. I put my hand over my mouth to stifle my giggles at his blunders.

"Do an activity?" Yue questioned with an amused smile on her face. Sokka gulped and stuffed his face with food. Leaning over, Katara shot him a smirk.

"Very smooth."

* * *

The next morning I decided to explore a bit around the city. Katara and Aang went to go see Master Pakku for their lessons and I'm sure Sokka was out stalking Yue, so I had some time to myself. Whistling, I walked along the canals through the city and looked around at the big snow structures.

"I wonder if Katara will make some of these when we get back home…" I murmured in thought. The South Pole seemed so underdeveloped compared to this place, but it was home. Looking up I saw a large cliff overlooking the city and at the bottom there was a path. Smiling, I quickly ran over and walked all the way to the top, trying not to trip over the edge.

The view was great up here. I could see the entire city and the ocean beyond the walls. The sun seemed to sparkle on the water as the light reflected off of it. Speaking of the sun, I lit a fire in my hand. The chief said not to fire bend in the city, but up here seemed far enough out. I was going to need some tips for my fire bending though. I sighed and opened my mind to the spirits.

" _Agni? Vayu?"_

" **Oh, so now you talk to us! You haven't talked to us in forever!"** Agni immediately complained. Luckily, the voice of reason was here too.

"Calm yourself Agni. Kai's been busy. Besides, she requires assistance with her bending right now."

"… **Fine! But only because I want you to be able to kick that fire nation prince's butt the next time you see him."** She grumbled in annoyance. I sighed in relief before bending my knees and preparing to go through the katas that Jeong Jeong taught me.

I punched my fist forward, shooting a blast of fire out before sweeping my leg up and creating an arc of fire. Agni commented here and there about the strength of my fire and stances. I lost myself in the movements as I spun and weaved through with fire. I had modified some of the stances after seeing Aang and Katara bend. Fire bending wasn't that different from water bending or air bending after all. I wasn't sure about earth bending, but maybe it was similar in a way too.

All the elements are connected, but are unique in their own way. Each one of them are essentials. Fire is warmth and represents life. Air is our breath and represents freedom. Water is our sustenance and represents change. Earth is our structure and represents strength. I giggled at my thoughts. _Look at me, thinking all Avatar-like._

As I focused back on my fire I faltered for a step as I realized that it was white again. I paused and lifted my hand up, lighting it on fire. I stared at the white flames in confusion. _Why did this always seem to happen?_

" _Agni, any ideas?"_ I questioned the spirit. If anyone would know why it was white, it would be her.

" **I think I have an idea. What do you get when you fan flames?"**

" _Well, the flames get hotter."_ I answered simply. I heard her hum in affirmation before continuing.

" **That's right. Now, since Vayu is technically-."** Suddenly my attention snapped behind me as footsteps crunched through the snow. I relaxed as I saw that it was just Princess Yue.

"I'm sorry for bothering you. It's just I saw the fire from down below and got interested." She explained sheepishly. I shrugged.

"No harm done, I was finished with the kata anyways." I reassured with a smile before sitting on the edge of the cliff and looking out over the city.

"I actually come up here a lot anyways. I like the view." Yue said as she sat next to me.

"It is really nice. I have to say, your cities a lot bigger and shinier than mine. It's an interesting change of pace. You can probably imaging how run down the place is if _Sokka's_ the 'prince'." I said sarcastically. She giggled at that.

"You and your siblings seem to have an interesting relationship." She observed. I just nodded. We were quite the interesting bunch after all. I couldn't say it was ever boring, especially now that we were travelling with Aang. Glancing down at the bottom of the cliff I raised an eyebrow as I saw some guards standing there.

"I'm surprised they'd let the princess come up here alone with the 'evil fire bender'." I said jokingly. Yue looked at me in confusion before seeing where I was looking. She blushed sheepishly as she looked down.

"Oh, they know you're not dangerous to me. But, I do think they're a bit frightened of you. It's nice to be able to get away from them to be honest." She explained with a sigh. I sent her a sympathetic look. My freedom is something I really enjoy and since she's a princess I imagined that freedom was a luxury she didn't always have. Looking at her down-in-the-dumps face, I tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, feel free to abuse my fiery-self as an excuse to get away from the guards any time. Even if it's to go do 'an activity' with my brother." I said, using air quotes. She laughed at the expression and I smiled, glad she was feeling better.

"I might have to take you up on that offer. I agreed to meet with your brother tonight in the city." She stated, a blush growing on her face. I smirked at the look and nudged her with my elbow.

"Oh, does someone have a crush on Sokka? I don't see why, but hey. I don't have any problems with it. My brother needs a stable girl in his life." I replied jokingly. I expected her to blush again or something, but instead she looked even more depressed than before. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Uh, you okay? I know having a thing for my brother isn't the best situation, but it's nothing to get depressed about." She shook her head in reply.

"No, it's not that. It's just…complicated I guess. I can't…I just-." I cut her off with a hand on her shoulder. I think I sort of got the gist of what was wrong, and I didn't want her to feel like she had to open up right now.

"Hey, no need to explain yourself to me. It's none of my business what you decide to do, but just do what you _want_ to do, okay?" I suggested with a small smile. She stared off for a second before smiling back.

"You know, you're pretty smart for a 12 year old."

"Tell that to Sokka, your word is like law to him right now."

* * *

That night we all gathered together in the house that Arnook was letting us stay in. Aang and Katara sat off to the sides as I leaned against the wall. Sokka suddenly burst in with an angry look. I frowned in concern, knowing that he had gone to see Yue tonight.

"How's warrior training going?" Katara questioned. Oh, right. I forgot he was doing that. It seemed like I was the only one not doing anything really productive…oh well. Sokka didn't reply and merely kicked his bag angrily before plopping down onto it sulkily.

"That bad?" Aang asked with a sympathetic look. Sokka shook his head.

"No, it's Princess Yue. I don't get it, one minute she wants to go out with me and the next she's telling me to get lost." He groaned.

"Just remember that she might have a good reason." I offered as I glanced over. I was hoping that she'd listen to her heart, but it looked like she might need a push. Sokka looked at me incredulously.

"Like what?" He questioned. I just shrugged noncommittedly and pet Momo on the head as Sokka huffed in frustration before looking at Aang and Katara.

"So, how's water bending going?" Immediately Katara plopped her face into her sleeping bag and Aang glared. Yeesh, it seemed like everyone was having a bad day. It sort of made me glad that I was the only one being lazy.

"Master poop-head won't teach her because she's a _girl_." Aang explained angrily. I frowned at that.

"Wow, that's so sexist. Isn't that so last century?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I guess it wasn't that surprising. A lot of cultures put emphasis on 'tradition' and all that stuff. He just shrugged in response as Sokka spoke up.

"Why don't you just teach her Aang?" Katara's head shot up at the suggestion.

"Why didn't I think of that?! At night, you can teach me whatever moves you learned from Master Pakku. That way, you get to have someone to practice with and I get to learn water bending! Everyone's happy!" Katara explained her master plan.

"I'm not happy." Sokka interjected. She just glared at him before moving to leave the room.

"But you're never happy. C'mon Aang." They left the house together as Sokka just continued to lie there, sulking. I rolled my eyes and patted him on the head as I stood up.

"Don't take it so hard, Yue will come around." I reassured him. He just nodded with a sigh before closing his eyes and turning away. I walked out of the room to follow Katara and Aang, sensing that he wanted to be alone right now.

Following the two water benders, I arrived at an open area under a bridge. I sat off to the side with Momo on my lap as Aang began to show Katara the first move.

"Master Pakku said that this move is all about syncing and floating." He said as he moved the water around his body before sending it to Katara. She slowly copied his motions and the water moved around her body too. She smiled brightly as she brought the water to a stop in front of her.

"I got it!" Suddenly the water whipped around her body intricately before flying upwards. Uh oh, I had a bad feeling about this.

"That was amazing!" Aang exclaimed with wide eyes. Katara just looked at him confused.

"I didn't do that." We all looked up at the bridge and saw Master Poop-head himself. He took the water that Katara was bending and threw his arms to the side, sending icicles into the bridge. _Hey, that was a perfectly good bridge. Don't go stabbing it with icicles._

"I-I was just showing Katara a few moves." Aang explained nervously. I frowned at that. They weren't doing anything wrong. Poop-head didn't have any control over what Aang and Katara did when they hung out. Just because he wouldn't teach Katara didn't mean that she couldn't be taught by others.

"You have disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture! You are no longer welcome as my student." Pakku announced with a glare. Geez, this guy needed to visit Kyoshi Island.

"What, the sexist culture that you guys live in? Girls can bend just as well as boys. It's not fair of you to not teach Katara just because she's a girl!" I yelled with a glare, standing up. Pakku looked at me with pure loathing in his face, just realizing that I was here too.

"I will not listen to a lowly fire bender insult my culture. You are lucky I don't throw you out of this city myself. Now, run along little girl." He ordered. My face twitched in anger as I looked at his stupid, grumpy, old face. I could feel my fists heating up as his smug look remained. With a growl of anger I threw my hands to my sides, fire bursting out in a large blast in both directions.

Suddenly I yelped as my body was encased in large icicles, trapping me.

"Kai!" I vaguely heard Katara and Aang yell out in the background as I looked around. On either side of me was a pair of water benders. They held up their hands cautiously as I looked around in confusion.

"What's going on?!" Aang questioned as he jumped between us all and held up his staff defensively. Pakku stepped forward, a serious expression on his face.

"Orders from Chief Arnook. Should the fire bender act out aggressively we are to detain her until further notice. Do not attempt to escape, we outnumber you." He stated, walking over to me and cuffing my wrists. I just stared at them in extreme confusion. _What just happened? I let off a little steam and boom, arrested? That liar! Arnook totally had a problem with me being a fire bender! Also, were these guys stalking me all day? They have no lives._

"Kai didn't do anything wrong! She wouldn't hurt anybody!" Katara protested as she walked over to us. The men just shrugged as if to say 'orders are orders'. I could see that this wasn't going to go anywhere so I just shrugged.

"Guys, I'll be fine. A night in a cell never hurt anybody. We can straighten it all out tomorrow." I reassured with a small smile, deciding not to mention that this had happened before. I severely hoped this wouldn't be similar to what happened with Haru. They both looked like they were going to protest, but I just gave them a serious look. Aang looked at me for a second before sighing and turning to leave. Katara was more stubborn and looked like she was going to take on all the benders, but luckily Aang grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"Aang, let me go! They can't do this just because-!"

"I know, but we can't do anything about it right now. Let's just listen to Kai and fix it tomorrow." Aang insisted. I could hear her complaints all the way until they disappeared from sight. I glanced over at Pakku and returned the glare that he sent me.

"Let's go."

* * *

They put me into a large cell and gave me thinner clothes so that I would be too cold to fire bend out. I shivered as I sat on the cot at one end of the cell. Luckily one of the benders was nice and at least gave me a blanket to cover myself with as I slept. Well, at least there were other people who were nice even if they put you in a cell.

I breathed out a breath of fire that slightly warmed my body. Laying down I pulled the blanket up to my chin. I had brief flashbacks from my time at the prison boat, but I quickly shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. They weren't going to do that here, I hoped.

Arnook might've been a paranoid jerk, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy to do that to a 12 year old girl. I wondered if Yue knew about this, but quickly determined that she didn't. I doubted she would be very happy with her dad if she knew about this. I smirked at the thought. I at least found a way to get revenge on the chief.

With that happy thought, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I was awoken by the same water bender that had given me the blanket. He smiled kindly at me before giving me a plate of food. As I ate he explained what was going on.

"Your siblings and the Avatar have requested a meeting with the chief and Master Pakku. I was ordered by the master to have you present. They're probably going to argue for your freedom. Considering the circumstances I bet you'll be free within the hour." He said reassuringly. I nodded in thanks before stuffing the rest of the food in my mouth and holding my wrists out to him. He put the cuffs around them with an apologetic glance, but I just casually shrugged to let him know there were no hard feelings.

Outside of the cell there was another guard waiting for me. He sent me a nod before they both grabbed one of my arms and led me out of the prison area. We got to a canal area where we loaded a boat. They put a blind fold over my eyes, probably to make sure I wouldn't be able to tell where we were.

After a few minutes of the boat ride I felt it stop. They pulled me up by my arms and led me up a few stairs before stopping again, removing the blindfold. I blinked at the sudden invasion of light as my eyes adjusted. We were stopped in front of a door. One of the guards opened it up while the other led me through. I realized that we were at the back side of the main hall. I could see Aang and my siblings talking to Arnook, Pakku, Yue, and some other old geezers sitting behind them. As I got closer I could hear them talking.

"What do you want me to do? Force Master Pakku into taking Aang back as his student?" The chief questioned as he looked down at them. Katara stood at the front of the small group.

"Yes, please. And I want my sister released." She added with a glare, no longer looking apologetic. I saw Yue's eyes widen with shock as she looked at her father who had the gall to look like he had done nothing wrong.

"Your sister acted out in aggression. You cannot blame me for being safe." He countered weakly. I snorted loudly, alerting everyone to my presence as I stepped forward.

"If it was aggressive I would've shot fire up that guy's butt." I stated, sticking my tongue out at Pakku who looked disgusted to be in my presence. Arnook looked confused as he glanced over at the water bending master.

"I was told that you _did_ attack Master Pakku." He said in confusion, a slight frown on his face as Pakku shrugged.

"You said to apprehend her if she acted aggressively, and that is what I did." He clarified innocently. Aang and my siblings glared at him, about to interject. Surprisingly it wasn't them who spoke first, but Yue.

"Father, Kai hasn't done anything wrong. You shouldn't have ordered her arrest anyways." She chastised, looking over at me in concern. I smiled to let her and the others know that I was okay. The chief looked around at everyone and sighed.

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding. Guards, release Kai and return her belongings to her. And, Kai I'm sorry about all this. I was…misinformed, but that is no excuse. I shouldn't have ordered this in the first place. I hope you can forgive me for my mistake." He apologized, looking sincere. I considered it in my head. I suppose I shouldn't be upset with Arnook since he really was just looking out for his people, but Pakku? I could definitely beat his old butt with no regret.

I smiled as I felt the cuffs leave my wrists, waving at the nice guard before running over to my siblings. Katara hugged me first before holding me at arms-length and inspecting me.

"Are you okay? What did they do to you?" She questioned quickly. Geez, I never knew she could talk that fast. I giggled at that and pointed over towards the guard.

"It's okay; they were nice for the most part. All they did was stick me in a cold room, but nothing a fire bender can't handle." I said reassuringly. Katara sighed in relief before hugging me again, this time Aang joined in and Sokka rubbed my head. After the little reunion I looked back at the chief and Pakku with a raised eyebrow.

"Just so you know, I can hold a grudge and I also like pranks. Beware." I warned with a smirk. Arnook smiled and nodded, looking relieved that I wasn't seriously mad about this while Pakku rolled his eyes in exasperation. I shot him a glare. I could justify melting his house. Yue sent me an apologetic look as her dad began to talk again.

"On the subject of Aang's teaching, I suspect Master Pakku might change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologize." Arnook offered. Okay, he was back on my bad side. Katara didn't have to say squat to that old coot. Katara looked back at Aang, weighing her options before sighing.

"…Fine." She accepted. I folded my arms, waiting for this whole thing to blow over as Pakku smirked.

"I'm waiting little girl." He said smugly. I rolled my eyes. He _so_ shouldn't have done that. Katara clenched her fists angrily.

"No! No way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you! Especially after what you did to Kai!" She growled. I looked down at the floor nervously as the floor cracked with her anger. The pots on either side of the room cracked and spilled on the floor. Aang, Sokka, and I all shared nervous looks.

"I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me." Katara finished, stalking out of the hall angrily. Yue and Arnook gasped in shock while Pakku's face remained impassive. Aang rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that." He offered, but Sokka and I just looked at each other as we thought of Katara's anger streak.

"Yeah, she did."

* * *

"Are you crazy Katara?! You're not gonna win this fight!" Sokka insisted, trying to reason with our sister. She just pulled off her thick parka angrily, tossing it in Sokka's face.

"I know, I don't care." Was her simple reply. Sokka shot me a pleading look, but I just shrugged. I was all for Katara teaching this guy a lesson. Sure, she wouldn't win, but she was good enough to at least get a good hit in.

"You don't have to do this for me. I can find another teacher." Aang tried.

"I'm not doing it for you. Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy!" She corrected. I nodded in agreement. If I wouldn't be arrested for fire bending in the city, I would've challenged the guy myself.

We all looked up the stairs as Pakku emerged at the top, looking completely calm. Katara glared at him as he approached.

"So, decided to show up?" She questioned, only to watch as he began to walk by us.

"Aren't you going to fight?!" She exclaimed angrily. Usually Katara was the calm one while the rest of us were aggressive, looked like she was finally blowing off some steam. I was just glad it wasn't at me.

"Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong." Pakku called back casually. I almost lost control of myself, almost. Katara didn't have that same issue and clenched her hands. She drew them back, water pulling up from the ground, and whipped it at the old man. The water slapped him on the back of his head, making him stop in his tracks.

"Fine, you want to learn how to fight so badly? Study closely." He turned back and smirked, evilly in my opinion. Suddenly he drew water up from the pools beside us, swirling it around himself before shooting it at Katara who was running at him. It stopped her in her tracks and made her fall to her knees as he drew it back around him. It began swirling around the two like some sort of make-shift barrier.

I couldn't see what was going on, so I waited with the others as we watched. A break suddenly appeared in the water and it shot straight at us. We all side-stepped it, except for Sokka who yelped as the water slammed into him.

Katara ran back at Pakku, another whip in hand as he quickly raised his arms up to form an ice wall. She slid with the ice, jumping off the top and landing on one of the snow pedestals at the bottom of the stairs. I watched nervously as Pakku turned the ice wall back into water and sent a giant wave at my sister.

Ice rose up from where she stood, wrapping around her legs as she smoothly bent the water around and away from her. She stood tall, a look of determination on her face.

"You can't knock me down!" Katara announced. We all cheered for her in excitement. It surprised me that some of the Northern water tribe members also cheered for her. Either they really liked Katara, or they just really hated Pakku. It's probably the latter.

Pakku raised another ice barrier in front of him as Katara charged, but she merely swept her hand through it, turning it back to water as she tried to punch him in the face. I really hoped she did. Pakku smoothly dodged her hands and swept his arms up and to the side, pushing a wave of water at Katara that sent her into one of the water pools to the side.

He smirked as she quickly stood back up, raising a circular block of ice out of the water. Slashing her arms through it, she sent multiple disks of ice at the man making him weave and dodge to avoid being hit.

Katara jumped out of the pool and shot a blast of water at him next, which he merely swept around his body before sending a blast twice the size back at her, knocking her to the ground. My eyes widened in concern as Katara knelt on her knees, taking a breath before standing up and bringing her arms down. The pillars of snow on either side of Pakku began to collapse around him. He just raised his arms and we all watched as snow power rose into the air, blocking our vision of him. It disappeared in a second, revealing him to be untouched.

"Well, I am impressed. You are an excellent water bender." Pakku admitted with a smirk. Katara frowned at him, her hair falling around her face.

"But, you still won't teach me will you." She stated. His face shifted back into a frown as he replied.

"No." Immediately Katara sent a wave of snow at him. He rose up on a pillar of water, dodging another of her attacks as the water beneath him turned into an icy slope. Pakku shot another blast of water at Katara, knocking her to the ground again as he jumped next to one of the water pools. As my sister shakily stood up, her hair no longer in its restraints, he took water from the pool and raised it over her head. It circled dangerously before suddenly turning into icy spikes and raining down on her.

I gasped, ready to jump in. But, I stopped as I saw that it hadn't hurt her, only trapped her. Everyone was silent as Pakku began to walk away again.

"This fight is over." He announced, not even sounding out of breath. Katara struggled angrily.

"Come back here! I'm not finished yet!" She insisted.

"Yes, you are." Pakku disagreed, before suddenly stopping. He looked down at the ground with wide eyes as he picked Katara's necklace up off the ground. I hadn't even realized that it had fallen off. We really need to get something better to hold that thing.

"This is my necklace." Pakku said in shock. Okay, apparently he likes jewelry. Nothing wrong with that I guess.

"No, it's not it's mine! Give it back!" Katara shouted as she glared from her icy prison.

"I made this sixty years ago…for the love of my life. For Kanna." I stared at him in shock for two reasons. 1, he was apparently _really_ old. And 2, he apparently had loved my Gran Gran back in the day. This was weird. The icicles around Katara melted into water as she looked at him.

"My Gran Gran was supposed to marry you?" She sounded just as shocked as I felt. I saw Sokka gaping next to me and reached over, closing his mouth. I realized that it was just Sokka, Aang, Arnook, Yue, and I watching this scene now.

"I carved this necklace for her when we got engaged. I thought we would have a long happy life together. I loved her." He said, looking the most human I've seen since I met him. He looked at the necklace sadly.

"But she didn't love you, did she. It was an arranged marriage. Gran Gran wouldn't let your village's stupid customs rule her life. That's why she left. It must've taken a lot of courage." Katara deduced. I suddenly had a lot more respect for the woman. She had left all that she knew to take her life in her own hands.

A sudden sob to my side broke my thoughts as I saw Yue suddenly run off in tears. I frowned, putting all the pieces together about why she had problems with this. Yue was in an arranged marriage with someone she didn't love. That's why she said she couldn't be with Sokka even though she wanted to be. As a princess she couldn't just disappear on her people either. As cliché as it sounded, she was stuck between duty and love.

Aang and I smiled at Sokka as he looked after her, conflicted. I slapped his back hard, sending him forward.

"Don't just stand there idiot." I said with a smirk.

"Go get her." Aang added with a smile. Sokka sent us a grateful glance before running off after her. I hoped he would get her to be able to do what she wanted. Looking back at Pakku and Katara my eyes narrowed in suspicion as they walked over to me.

"Kai, I just want to apologize about how I've been acting. I shouldn't have treated you in such a way and I hope you can someday forgive me." He said, bowing his head for added effect. I stared at him with wide eyes, glancing over at Katara's smiling face. His personality had taken a complete 180. It was…weird.

But, considering the love of his life left him without a word I guess I could see why he was a bitter old man. But I wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"Hmm…okay, I'll forgive you. But, you have to say that I'm the most awesome person in the world and you are a measly peasant." I beamed at him brightly. Everyone seemed to silence, before laughing out loud. Pakku sighed in irritation before nodding.

"Fine. Kai is the most awesome person in the world and I am a measly peasant. Happy?" He questioned. I laughed. Seeing him say that with such a serious face was hilarious. I nodded in affirmation as Katara giggled beside me.

"It's acceptable. Now, go make me some food peasant!"

"Don't push it."

* * *

I looked out over the ocean as I sat down on the edge of the cliff. I had just finished some more of my fire bending katas. Katara was off with Aang for water bending lessons and Sokka was off sulking about Yue again. He told me what had happened and sadly I was right. Yue was engaged.

I blew out a small breath as I considered ways to make Yue's father cancel the obviously forced union when suddenly dread filled me. I stared harder at the horizon, the feeling of uneasiness building.

"I feel it too Kai. Something wrong is in the air." Vayu said somberly.

" **I feel as if something terrible is about to happen…"** Agni added. When Agni was taking something seriously you know it's going to be bad. I nodded absently.

 _I wonder what's going to happen?_

* * *

 **That's a wrap on chapter 17! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Next time: The Siege of The North**


	18. Chapter 18: Siege of The North Part 1

**Chapter 18: Siege of the North Part 1**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the lag in updates…I'm sure it's probably become too normal by now. Again, sorry! Anyways, here's the next chapter (finally) of the story! –Cleo**

 **Princess of Miracles: I agree, the whole discrimination thing was stupid and it doesn't make sense. But, I can't blame them for depicting this because during that age of time women were discriminated against a lot more than now. Anyways, thanks for all your reviews you've given me! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

 **LeopardFeather: I know right! Katara is great! Much better than when she was fawning over Jet. Thanks for your review!**

 **Momochan77: I'm really glad you like the story and my characters. At first I was going to have Agni be a bit more like Vayu, but then I decided "Hey, I need some diversity!" I'm glad I made those changes.**

 **About the love interest** **, I'm not currently planning one. Sometimes I feel like those distract from the main storyline, and I'm not very good at writing them. If enough people want one I might try it out, but for now I'll just stick with my plan. Anyways, thanks for your feedback! I always like getting reviews ^_^**

 **RainbowsUnicorn: I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for your support and I hope you continue to like it!**

 **Cupcake: It's always nice to see people excited for another chapter, so thanks a lot! Please continue to give feedback!**

 **Now, on to the story!  
**

* * *

"Nice try pupil Sangook. A couple more years and you might be ready to fight a sea sponge." Pakku stated bluntly, looking very unamused. Katara was smirking as she looked at her latest victim- sorry, I mean _sparring partner_.

The poor boy was trapped in the air in spikes of ice. He flailed his limbs around pathetically. I almost held back my laughter as I watched from the sides. _Almost._

With a wave of his arms Pakku melted the ice and let Sangook down, not even glancing in his direction. Katara looked proud of her achievement. I shivered in fear at what she could do to me now. I better watch what I say around her…nah.

"Would anyone like a rematch with Katara?" Pakku asked with a raised eyebrow, already knowing the answer as he looked at the soggy, frozen, and exhausted students before him. All of them past victims of my sister.

"Katara, you've advanced faster than any student I've ever trained. You've proven that with hard work, passion, and determination you can accomplish anything." The elderly water bender said, almost proudly. I snorted and smirked.

"So, training a _girl_ wasn't the worst thing in the world now, was it?" I questioned smugly. His eye twitched in annoyance as Katara giggled into her hand. With a flick of his hand I went sprawling into the snow, silently cursing the surly man. Not even looking in my direction, he went back to talking.

"As I was saying, hard work will get you far. Raw talent alone is not enough." He gave a pointed look in Aang's direction. The Avatar, savior of the world, was currently flying Momo through the air on a ball of wind, a lazy smile on his face.

"Pupil Aang! Care to step into the sparing ring? I figure since you're playing with house pets, you must've already mastered water bending." Pakku said sarcasm clear in his words as Aang stopped flying Momo.

"Well, I wouldn't say mastered, but check this out!" He swept his arms behind him, drawing a pile of snow around his body to make a snowman cover. Momo leapt at the figure with ferocity and they both went tumbling into the snow. Pakku and Katara both gave Aang the same unamused look.

Oh gosh, I hope Katara doesn't become too much like the old man. That would not be fun. Looking back at the downed 'snowman' a thought crossed my mind, making me huff and cross my arms.

"That's totally not fair! Do you know how long it takes me to make a snowman? Especially when Sokka loves kicking them over. You can make instant snowmen!" I whined at the unfairness of it all. You can't make snowmen with fire. Plus, water benders would be the best teammates in a snowball fight.

Katara smiled at my complaint and patted my arm sympathetically.

"I'll make Sokka into a big snowman if it makes you feel better." She offered. I pictured a Sokka covered in snow that I could easily knock over.

"Hm…yeah, that'll work."

* * *

Aang laughed as he rolled in a circular indent he made in the snow. Momo was in the center, watching him roll. I laughed at the scene before throwing a snowball right at Aang's face, laughing as he shrieked in surprise.

Suddenly the wind was knocked out of me as Aang blasted air at my gut, sending me sprawling onto the floor. His laughter filled the air again as I mock-glared at him before joining in. My eyes snapped open as Momo's hacking filled the air.

I looked over at the lemur and saw him coughing out…black snow? I looked up at the sky, Aang quieting also as he noticed the same thing. The sky was filled with dark clouds and the snow that fell was completely black. The water turned dark as it mixed with the falling snow and the ground became spotted.

I caught a black snowflake in my hand and stared at it. Suddenly an image popped into my head of the same thing happening in the South Pole. I stared with narrowed eyes, wondering why I've seen it before. I did know one thing, just the sight of it made me shiver in fear. The past memory flashed again.

 _People screaming around me in fear…_

 _Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me along quickly…_

 _Katara running and Hakoda's scream of "Kaya!"…_

 _Black snow falling on my face as tears poured out…_

I barely held back a gasp. The invasion that happened so many years ago. That's where I'd seen this before. Looking up I locked eyes with Katara. Her hands were over her mouth and I could see the fear in her eyes.

I clenched my fists as I felt them begin to shake slightly. Was I scared? Of course, who wouldn't be? But, Katara remembered that day much better than me. She was in a worse condition. I walked over to her and grabbed one of her mitted hands with my own, offering support and comfort for the both of us as we stared at the sea outside the walls. Katara squeezed my hand as we both waited for the inevitable.

* * *

The warning drums sounded throughout the city as we all gathered at the main building. Katara still held my hand as we waited for the chief to speak. I noticed that Sokka looked especially gloomy today. Glancing at Yue, I could tell she was the same. I guess that they had some sort of 'lover's quarrel'. Arnook suddenly stood, gaining my attention.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The fire nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe. But, they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I ask the spirits to be with us! I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission. Be warned, some of you may not come back. Come forward to accept my mark, if you accept." As soon as he mentioned that part, Sokka stood up in determination.

"Count me in!" He declared. Katara and I looked up at him with concern.

"Sokka…" She muttered in surprise. I watched in silence as he and some other men walked forward to receive the marks. After receiving his, Sokka walked off to the side. He looked back over his shoulder and locked eyes with Yue sadly before turning away and leaving. The princess clenched her eyes shut and bit her lip as a tear escaped her eye.

I looked on with a furrowed brow, wondering what occurred between them. I looked back over at my brother. Geez, something big must've happened for him to risk his life over a girl like this. I almost wanted to go over there and smack some sense into the both of them, but I just sighed. _I just hope Sokka won't go too overboard and that he'll stay safe…_

* * *

"The stillness before battle is unbearable, such a quiet dread." Arnook commented somberly as he walked up beside Aang who was crouched on a pedestal. Katara and I stood to his left, watching the sea.

"I wasn't there when the fire nation attacked my people. I'm gonna make a difference this time." Aang replied in determination, standing up. I smiled at him and lightly punched his leg.

"Don't forget about us. You're not alone Aang." I promised. He glanced down at me, silent for a minute before smiling too.

"Thanks Kai."

* * *

We all stood on the giant walls of the city, looking out towards the horizon. Aang sat on Appa as the warriors stood on either side of us. Squinting at the sunlight, I barely made out a dot in the water. Suddenly my eyes widened as a flaming rock approached us. It exploded into the wall right below us, sending almost everyone over and sprawling back onto the ground.

I gripped Appa's saddle tightly as I sat down. I vaguely noticed Sokka and Katara being knocked down. I wasn't worried; I knew they could handle themselves especially with Katara's awesome water bending skills.

"Yip yip!" Aang yelled over the sounds of more explosions. Appa lifted off of the ground, carrying us into the air. I climbed up next to Aang on the bison's head. He looked over at me in surprise for a second before nodding with a smile. I smiled back before focusing on the approaching vessel.

I glared at the ship as I saw more fire balls get launched at the walls. Standing up, I began shooting blasts of fire at the projectiles and managing to blow a few up. I faltered for a second as Aang sharply turned Appa to block a boulder of his own. He bat it aside with his staff, making it hit the cliffs to the side of the city.

"We've got it from here boy!" Aang announced to Appa before grabbing my hand and making me grab onto the topside of his glider as he opened it. We launched off of the bison and flew down to the ship quickly. I stuck my hands outward and managed to keep the fire off of us as we landed. Aang grunted as he swung his staff, sending a blast of air at the soldiers surrounding us and sending them to the ground.

Running in the opposite direction as Aang I went to go take care of some of the catapults myself. I yelped in surprise as a spear passed just over my head. I turned in the direction it came from and kicked a blast of fire at the soldier before continuing on my way.

Dodging a few more blows from the soldiers I stuck my tongue out and blew a raspberry at them.

"Can't touch this!" I laughed, sweeping my leg out and tripping two more soldiers. I glanced over at Aang and smiled as I saw he was making good work on the catapults. I quickly ran up to one and melted a few of the chains together so that when the catapult launched the boulder wouldn't fly out and instead crash into the ship itself.

Diving out of the way of another spear I glared at the group of men that had surrounded me. I smirked at them before flipping onto my head and spinning my legs around in a circle, sending a wave of fire all around me. _Sweet! It worked! Seeing Zuko fight came in handy._

After melting the gears of another catapult and _perhaps_ _accidentally_ sending a soldier flying in one of them, my attention was drawn to Appa as he suddenly swooped down and grabbed some hammer-wielding dude. After dropping the man off the side of the boat the vessel suddenly tilted to the side violently, making me fall on my butt with a squeak.

I looked over the side of the boat and saw a group of water benders as the lifted the ship out of the water onto a tower of spikes. _Hm…this looks familiar._ I mused, thinking about the ship back home and how Katara did the same thing to Sangook that morning. Must've been some popular water bending move.

I ran over to Appa as Aang jumped onto his head, reaching a hand down to pull me up before we took off again. We flew over the top of the ship, only to come face to face with a nightmare. There were _hundreds_ of ships out over the water, all of them approaching fast.

"…You've got to be kidding me." Aang gaped at the scene. I slapped my hands over my face with a loud groan.

"Ugh, just kill me now…"

* * *

"Kai! Aang!" I heard Katara yell out as Appa landed us in front of her and Yue. I jumped off of his head and promptly flopped face down into the snow with a pained groan. Aang slid down the bison's leg in exhaustion.

"We can't do it…we can't do it." He muttered breathlessly. The girl's ran over to us with concern on their faces. Katara rolled me over onto my back and checked me for injuries before turning to look at Aang.

"What happened?" She questioned, holding a hand over a cut on my arm and healing it. I sighed in relief as I felt the cool sensation, and I glanced over at Aang as he spoke.

"We must've taken out a dozen fire navy ships, but there's just too many of them…we can't fight them all." He sighed, a look of despair on his face. I just grunted in agreement as I sat up. Yue stepped forward, her hands clasped together.

"But, you have to! You're the Avatar, and you have Kai helping you." She insisted, almost desperately wanting to believe Aang could fix all the problems. I gave my friend a sympathetic look as he flinched with guilt. It must've been hard to have so many expectations on you. Even though I knew I was expected to be of help that was hardly anything compared to being the Avatar.

"I'm…we're just a couple of kids." He corrected, hiding his face behind his knees. Katara moved over to him and put her hand on his shoulder for comfort. I stood up and walked next to Yue as she watched the two with sad eyes.

"Aang's just a 12 year old, like me. He can't be expected to do so much." I muttered looking at the boy. Yue nodded in understanding, not looking at me as she continued to look forward.

"I know, it's just…hope is the only thing we have. I want to be able to hold onto it during these times." She whispered out. Katara looked up from where she was with Aang and gave a soft smile to the princess.

"Hope should be for the many, not on just one." She stated, rubbing Aang's back. I sighed and looked out at all the fire navy ships in the water and all the fire balls that approached.

"Call me a pessimist right now, but I think we might need a _little_ more than hope for this."

* * *

"The legends say that the moon was the first water bender. Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves." Yue spoke as we looked off the balcony of the snow palace. The attack had halted at twilight and now the ships were just waiting out there.

"I've always noticed my water bending is stronger at night." Katara nodded in understanding. I hummed in thought.

"Hm…that's probably why the attack stopped for now, huh? My fire bending's stronger in the sun too." I added absently. Yue nodded in affirmation as she continued.

"I assume so. Our strength comes from the spirit of the moon and our life from the spirit of the ocean. They work together to keep balance." She explained. Suddenly Aang's eyes widened and he stood up straight with a smile.

"The spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help." He offered in excitement. Yue looked at him in confusion as I smiled, liking his plan.

"How can you do that?"

"The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the spirit world. Aang can talk to them." Katara explained. She suddenly looked at me too.

"Actually, Kai can't you talk to your spirits too?" she added with wide eyes. Yue looked even more confused now, but I ignored it and thought about Katara's question. She had a good point.

" _Hey guys, I'm guessing you already heard about our little situation at the North Pole?"_

" **Hello my lovely Kai! To answer your question, yes we have. I can always tell what my children are doing."** I frowned in sympathy as a sadder tone entered Agni's voice. I definitely wouldn't want to be able to tell all the bad that the fire nation is doing right now. But, I was glad she was taking this seriously right now.

"Hello Kai, I'm guessing you wish to acquire help for this battle?"

" _Yes please! We need all the help we can get."_

"Hm…I'm afraid we cannot interfere much. Agni cannot go against her children on either side and I am not a spirit of battle." I sighed silently. I was afraid of that.

" **Besides, this isn't our domain. For help you should find some way to contact the ocean and moon spirits."** Agni offered helpfully. I nodded, that made sense.

" _Good idea! But, can't you guys just talk to them for us?"_

"I'm afraid not. Agni, Tui, and La don't get along for obvious reasons and I have not had much contact with them either."

" **Hmph, I actually haven't seen those prissy spirits around the spirit realm lately. The Avatar is your best bet at finding them since he's connected to all spirits. Even we have our different domains that we stay in and there generally isn't that much contact between us."** She explained. I hummed in thought. It was interesting how even spirits were like humans in that respect.

" _Okay, thanks guys. I'll contact you after the battle!"_ I heard goodbyes from both spirits before the connection was cut off. It was so nice being able to ask them for help in my head. I would never tell Agni that though. She'd use it as an excuse to jump into my head more.

Turning back to the others I saw them all staring at me in anticipation. From Yue's lack of confusion I was guessing that Katara had explained that part of me during the conversation. I shrugged before talking.

"They can't really help that much because of the situation, but they suggested finding the moon and ocean spirits. I think Vayu called them Tui and La. They said that Aang should be able to find them." I explained. Yue smiled in realization and nodded.

"Maybe they can give you the wisdom to win this battle!" She said excitedly.

"Or maybe they'll unleash a crazy, amazing spirit attack on the fire nation!" Aang insisted, spreading his arms out with a wide smile. I nodded in agreement of the awesome idea as Katara and Yue just sent Aang blank looks. Psh, they just don't understand the cool possibilities at hand.

…

…

"Or wisdom, that's good to." He corrected, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Katara cut in, ignoring his abrupt and superior suggestion.

"The only problem is last time you got to the spirit world by accident. How are you gonna get there this time?" She questioned. We all thought about it for a second before Yue suddenly smiled.

"I have an idea, follow me."

* * *

"So, is this the way to the spirit world?" Aang asked as we stood in front of a small, circular doorway in a wall. I tilted my head at the statement. For some reason I had the urge to press a button and say 'that was easy'.

Yue laughed lightly as she shook her head. Well, never mind then…

"No, you'll have to get there on your own. But, I can take you to the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole." She corrected, opening the doorway. Aang stepped through first before the rest of us followed. Immediately after stepping in I gasped in awe.

There was a waterfall running over the far wall into a pond in front of us. In the center of that pond was a little island of land. There was actual green grass on the ground and another, smaller body of water at the center of the island. Bushes bordered the back of the land and some sort of wooden archway stood at the back also.

I noticed the warmth in the area and smiled at the feeling. It was so weird to have a place like this in the North Pole. Aang suddenly laughed and ran over one of the bridges in front of us onto the little island and began rolling on the ground.

"I never thought I'd miss grass this much!" He exclaimed with a smile. The rest of us ran over to him also. I pulled off my thick parka leaving me in thinner, blue clothes that I had gotten while staying here. ( **A/N: I'll leave clothing to your imaginations, but if you want to see what I kind of imagined her wearing, here's a link. The pic should be labeled waterbender design #1.** pin/360288038912811077/ )

I lay down on the grass and breathed in, smelling the scent of nature that didn't exist in snow. I had to admit, I did miss the grass.

"It's so warm here, how is that possible?" Katara questioned as she and Yue followed my example. Aang walked around to the back of the island and stared into the center pool of water as Yue explained.

"It's the center of all spiritual energy in our land." She said. In the center pool of water there were two koi fish swimming in a circular fashion after each other. One was black with a white dot on its head, and the other was white with a black dot. I stared at the two figures, feeling…something as I looked at them. The moment was suddenly broken as Momo batted at the fish, hoping for a free meal.

Katara and Yue both glared at him, making him sheepishly back away from the water. I giggled into my hand before looking over at Aang who was still looking around in awe.

"You're right Yue, I can feel…something. It's so tranquil." He stated, speaking my thoughts. Sitting down he got into a meditative position. I was _so_ tempted to go over there and push him into the water, but the North Pole _was_ at stake so I resisted. After a few minutes of silence Yue broke in.

"Why is he sitting like that?" She whispered quietly. Huh, guess she's never seen someone meditate before. Weird.

"He's meditating, trying to cross into the spirit world. It takes all his concentration." Katara responded. I don't think they realized that Aang could hear everything. I smirked as I saw his face scrunch up in annoyance.

"Is there any way we can help?"

"How about some quiet! C'mon guys I can hear every word you're saying!" Aang cut in after Yue in irritation. Both of them shut up quickly after that. Aang huffed, closing his eyes again and trying to concentrate, but after another minute he groaned.

"I don't understand why I don't feel different!" He complained, holding his head in his hands. I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but as soon as I touched him a weird sensation covered me and I backed up quickly feeling dizzy. Aang gasped in surprise, so I'm guessing that he felt it too.

"Wait a minute that might be it! Kai, Agni and Vayu said that they gifted you with spiritual powers. Maybe you might be a catalyst to get into the spirit world!" Aang exclaimed in realization. I tilted my head. I didn't think it would work like that, but it made sense. Vayu was basically the most spiritual spirit since he was like, the best monk ever.

"Well, no harm from trying it at least." I replied and sitting down on the other side of the center pool and put my fists together like he did. We settled in and began to meditate. At first my eyes were closed, but something inside me told me to open them. As soon as I did my eyes locked onto the koi pond.

I watched the two circle each other. The colors of the fish almost made them look like…yin and yang. Balance. I stared at them in a trance, until suddenly I felt a pull in my gut. Looking back up I gasped as I realized that I was surrounded by a swampy area.

"Kai, we made it!" Aang shouted excitedly. I turned to my side and saw him smiling brightly. I smiled in return, but suddenly I fell to the floor with a yelp as something pulled on my sleeve. Looking at my arm I saw a little lemur spirit trying to pull me in a different direction. Aang looked at me with a tilted head.

"Looks like he wants to take us somewhere, maybe he can help." He offered, about to stand up to follow the lemur. The animal looked at Aang and promptly shook its head vigorously and pulled harder on me. I gave Aang and amused smirk.

"Sorry man, looks like it's cool kids only." I replied smugly. He whined with a pout before nodding in acceptance.

"Fine…you can abandon me for a lemur."

"Thank you."

* * *

The small animal pulled me far into the swamp, making different twists and turns and constantly making me face-plant. Suddenly it let me go and disappeared. I blinked at the area the ghost lemur was just in.

"Okay…now what?"

"Kai! It's so good to see you in person again!" I grunted as I was pulled into a big hug. Guess who this was?

"Hi Agni, hi Vayu." I greeted the blue spirit standing behind Agni. He smiled and nodded in greeting.

"Good job on getting to the spirit world Kai. Your abilities have been growing stronger." He complimented making me smile. A rub on my head drew my attention back to Agni.

"You've done really well with your fire bending too! Jeong Jeong would be proud. Now, I get the feeling we won't have much time together, so before you go we wanted to give you something." She said with a smile making me tilt my head in confusion. What was it?

Suddenly something flew straight at us making me squeak in fear. That thing was huge! I covered my head with my hands and hit the floor quickly. Stop, drop and roll.

Noticing that I wasn't eaten, I slowly opened my eyes only to come face to face with a giant, golden dragon. I gasped and fell back on my butt and I heard Agni laugh in amusement.

"Don't worry Kai. She's not going to hurt you. This dragon is your spirit animal. Just as Aang's is a bison, yours is a dragon. Everyone has one, but not very many people meet theirs." She explained, petting the dragon on its, sorry, her head. She let out a puff of breath before giving Agni a look almost as if to say 'Really? I'm stuck with this stupid human'? I huffed in offense and gave her a glare.

"Hey, I'm not the happiest to meet you either bub. Dragons are awesome and all, but not so awesome when it looks like one is about to eat your face." I stated in irritation. The dragon looked back at me and almost seemed to laugh. I sighed, patting her nose before standing up.

"Okay, you're still really awesome…" I grumbled, ignoring the little nudge she gave me on the side.

"Aw, look! They're bonding!" I looked over at Agni who had the biggest smile on her face. Vayu just seemed to find the whole thing ridiculous. I glared at them before looking back at the golden dragon.

"So, are you gonna be my spirit express ride around this place from now on?" I questioned with a raised brow. She seemed to glare at being called an 'express ride', but nodded in affirmation. My face split into a smug smile.

"Sweet, I'll totally rub this in Aang's face!" I laughed. Suddenly pain filled my head making me gasp and fall to the ground.

"Kai!" I heard the two spirits exclaim as my new dragon nudged my arm in concern. I felt a large hand be placed on my shoulder as Vayu gasped.

"You're being forcefully pulled from the spirit world! Aang was your catalyst just as much as you were his. If this is happening that means you must have been separated." He said with a frown. Agni suddenly appeared next to me with a serious gaze.

"Kai, you have to find Aang. I feel that Zuko has taken him away and even if you helped him get into the spirit world, unlike you he doesn't need you to _stay_ in this world. He's still stuck here and can't fight Zuko." She explained hastily. I tried to listen through my giant migraine and I was mostly succeeding. I gasped as a new wave of pain hit.

"It's almost time. I'm sorry Kai, but it will stay painful until you're able to find Aang. We won't be able to help." Vayu said regretfully as the dragon nudged my side again.

"We'll talk to you later Kai, be careful." And with that, I passed out.

* * *

"…-ai!"

"Kai! Are you okay?" My eyes snapped back open as yelling filled my ears. I looked up at the concerned faces of Katara, Yue, and Sokka. I sat up with a groan of pain and held my head as it throbbed.

"Ugh, what happened?"

"I don't know, you just suddenly fell over." Katara said as she put her hand on my shoulder. I nodded, right. I was forcefully pulled from the spirit world and now I have to find Aang or else I'll have the biggest migraine forever, and we'll probably lose the war without him. That's important too.

"Right, okay we've got to go find Aang now." I grunted, standing up. Sokka nodded in agreement before tilting his head.

"Yeah Zuko couldn't have gotten far, but how did you know that?"

"It's a long story." I sighed. I climbed onto Appa and looked down at the others.

"We going? I think I can sense which direction he's in." I offered. I noticed that when facing a certain direction my head felt slightly better. That's probably the direction Aang was in. The three on the ground shared looks before shrugging and climbing up too.

"You're rushing a lot for someone who just woke up." Katara mused as I took the reins.

"You would be too if your head felt like someone was repeatedly smashing a hammer into it." I retorted before turning towards a despondent Momo.

"You should stay here boy, just in case he comes back." I said with a sad smile. Momo just made a little sound before curling up in the spot Aang was in. I got Appa into the air and began flying him in the direction of less pain. We flew in silence for a second before I broke it.

"So…I got a spirit express dragon today."

"What?"

"* _Sigh*_ You get used to things like this Yue…"

* * *

 **That's a wrap on chapter 18, hope you enjoyed!** **By the way, any suggestions for the name of Kai's dragon spirit?** **I'm a bit stumped.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading! Next chapter is Siege of the North Part 2!**


	19. Chapter 19: Siege of The North Part 2

**Chapter 19: Siege of The North Part 2**

 **Hey guys! Yes, it didn't take me a month to post this time! I feel so accomplished. Anyways, thanks to all the review, follow/favorites, and to the people who submitted names for the dragon. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy!**

 _ **ALERT:**_ **Okay, so I've placed a poll at the top of my bio for name choices of Kai's dragon. I've taken one name from each reviewer and put it as an option. I want you guys to vote for the one you want and I'll use the winner. Vote well!**

 **Suntan140: A bunch of plans are running through my mind, but you'll just have to wait and see ;)**

 **Izi Wilson: Thanks for the name submission! It's been cool seeing the suggestions. I hope you continue to like the story!**

 **Purplechic13: Hey, haven't seen you for a while! I'm glad you liked the whole spirit animal thing; it seemed like an interesting thing to add. And thanks for the name submissions! Kin is the one I chose to be in the poll.**

 **Guest: Thanks for the name suggestion! I've chosen Seishin to be in the poll. Please vote!**

 **Princess of Miracles: Thanks for the names! Akemi is the one I put into the poll, technically you have two names in the poll since Kin was suggested twice. Anyways, please vote!**

 **Momochan77: Glad you liked it, my favorite is Agni too cause she's fun to write. And, your wish is granted! I updated sooner than normal, hope you like it!**

 **Foxchick1: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Also thanks for the pm, it reminded me that I needed to update soon. Hope you like the chapter!  
**

* * *

"I swear, between you and Aang our group has the weirdest experiences." Sokka mumbled from the front of Appa's head. I had just retold the story of my little trip to the spirit world and how I met my dragon spirit express.

"Well, at least you can't say you get bored." I shrugged in reply, a smile on my face. I flinched as my head ached again and pointed Sokka in the direction that less pain was coming from. This Aang sensor thing I have going on is helpful, bur really annoying. Katara glanced at me in concern. She tried to make my head feel better with waterbending, but apparently bending doesn't work on spirit stuff. Typical.

"Do you think Aang will be able to wake up soon?" Yue questioned worriedly, clutching her hand to her chest. I sighed and looked out over the snowy landscape.

"I really have no idea, but I'm guessing that when he does this migraine will go away so I'll be able to tell." I responded. I shivered against the cold as the winds picked up and pulled the hood of my parka over my head, noticing the others following my example.

Glancing over at Katara I saw that she looked troubled and concerned. She hadn't spoken more than a couple sentences since we left the oasis. Yue, noticing the same thing as me placed her hand on my sister's shoulder comfortingly.

"We'll find him. Prince Zuko couldn't have gotten far in this weather." She said reassuringly. Katara shook her head.

"I'm not worried they'll make it out, I'm worried that they won't." She corrected quietly, somehow still projecting her voice over the wind. I frowned at the implication of her words before shaking my head in return.

"No, Zuko has his firebending and he'd never let anything happen to Aang now that he finally has him." I said, lighting a flame in my own hand to warm myself. I held it closer to the other two girls and they smiled at me gratefully for the warmth. Sokka's voice brought our attention back to the front of the bison.

"Yeah, they're not gonna die in this storm. If there's anything we know about Zuko it's that he never gives up. They'll survive, and we'll find them."

* * *

I yawned sleepily as the sun set in the distance. We had been searching for Aang for a long time now and I was beginning to get tired of just staring at snow. Suddenly my eyes shot open as the headache I had just disappeared into nothingness. A small streak of light flew through the sky, falling in the direction that we were heading in.

"Look! That's got to be Aang!" Katara shouted, getting Sokka to make Appa go faster. As we got closer to the ground I spotted two figures standing outside of a small cave. One was holding the other by the collar of their shirt.

"It's Aang and Zuko!" I pointed out, seeing the trademark colors of the Avatar's clothing. We landed quickly and Katara jumped out with me. Zuko glared at us and tossed Aang to the side.

"Here for a rematch?" He questioned, moving into a fighting stance. Katara and I followed, our hands out in front of us.

"Trust me Zuko; this won't be much of match." Katara responded angrily. He quickly shot a blast of fire at us and I stepped in front of Katara, dispersing the blast with a swipe of my hands. From behind me Katara swept her hands forwards to send a wave of snow at the prince. Once it connected he was lifted up in a giant pillar of ice, again, before being slammed to the ground sending snow everywhere. I grimaced as I saw that he had lost consciousness on impact. _Ouch…_

"Hey, this is some quality rope." Sokka said with an impressed face as he cut Aang loose. I rolled my eyes at that and shook my head.

"We need to get to the oasis, the spirits are in trouble!" Aang announced as he untied his legs himself. We quickly loaded back up on Appa, but Aang hesitated. Looking back at Zuko's prone form I immediately understood what he was thinking. Zuko would die out here if we left him.

"Wait, we can't leave him here." Aang stated, a determined frown on his face. Sokka just rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Sure we can, let's go." He countered. I huffed at his cold heartedness and hopped off the back of Appa. I walked over to Zuko and knelt next to him. I grabbed his arm and placed it over my shoulders. Seeing his face close up now my eyes widened in surprise. _Geez, what happened to him? It looks like he got a face full of explosion or something._

The weight on my shoulders suddenly got lighter and I saw Aang smiling at me from the other side of the teenager. I smiled back before we both led him back to Appa. Aang jumped up first and reached down to grab Zuko from me.

"Oh, sure. This makes a lot of sense. Let's bring the guy whose constantly trying to kill us." Sokka grumbled. I glared at him.

"That doesn't make it right to technically kill him Sokka." I insisted, Aang nodding in agreement from my side. It looked like Sokka was about to argue again, but Katara's hand on his shoulder stopped him. She smiled at us and just nodded towards Appa's reins.

"Let's just hurry back to the city. They need our help."

* * *

Aang explained to us how Tui and La were in the human world now. They were the koi fish in the spirit oasis. No wonder I felt a pull towards them earlier. Suddenly the sky turned red as the moon changed colors. I grasped my head again as I suddenly felt like I was about to pass out. Katara put her hand on my shoulder worriedly as Sokka put his on Yue. She looked just like I felt.

"Are you okay?" He asked her in concern. She looked up at the moon tiredly.

"I feel faint…" She mumbled. I saw Aang grasping his head from the front of Appa as he experienced the same thing.

"Something's wrong with the moon spirit." He stated, staring at the sky. _No, really? What gave it away, the giant, red orb in the sky?_ I frowned at the moon and shivered at the sight. It was almost…blood red, like the moon was bleeding to death right in front of us. _Congratulations Kai, you're thoughts are now morbid._

"I owe the moon spirit my life." Yue suddenly drew my attention as she spoke. I turned towards her in confusion as Sokka frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was born I was very sick and weak. Most babies cry when they're born, but I was born as if I were asleep, my eyes closed. Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me. That night, underneath the full moon, he brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white and I opened my eyes and began to cry. That's when they knew I would live. That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon."

I stared at the princess as she finished up her story. It was cool that the spirits did that for her. It also explained her rare, white hair. I looked up at the moon again.

"Well, now's your chance to help save the moon spirit."

* * *

We flew as fast as we could right to the oasis. When we arrived I saw a group of firebenders standing at the front of the small pond. And guess who was at the front holding a bag of fish? That's right, General Monkey himself. Honestly, that guy needs to do something about those sideburns. As we got closer and landed I could hear him shouting something.

"-They'll call me Zhao the Moon Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!" He stated, almost maniacally. Suddenly he began screaming as Momo launched at his face. The lemur crawled all over the man's head before flying back over to Aang's outstretched arm. I jumped off behind him and glared at Zhao.

"How about Zhao the Crazy?" I offered instead. Truthfully it was better than Zhao the Monkey. We all prepared to attack the group of firebenders, but he suddenly lifted his hand.

"Don't bother." I gasped in horror as he prepared to burn the moon spirit. Aang quickly dropped his staff to the ground in alarm.

"Zhao, don't!" He exclaimed, holding up his hands in surrender. The man continued to stare at the bag.

"It's my destiny to destroy the moon and the water tribe." He growled out.

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the water tribe. It'll hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon it would destroy balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos it would unleash on the world!" Aang insisted, trying to convince Zhao of the craziness going on. Suddenly a voice cut in, making us all look to the source.

"He's right Zhao!" Iroh exclaimed. I smiled at the man as stepped forwards.

"General Iroh? Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" Zhao asked himself sarcastically.

"I'm no traitor Zhao; the fire nation needs the moon too. We all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit, I will unleash upon you tenfold! Let it go now!" Iroh demanded angrily. I honestly would like to see Uncle Iroh go full out, sounds cool. Focusing back on the situation I looked over at Zhao.

He seemed to come to his senses and kneeled to the ground in defeat. Lowering the bag into the water and releasing the fish. I relaxed in relief, but suddenly the overwhelming feeling of dread filled me and Agni cut through into my head even without me lowering the walls.

" **Kai! Stop him, he's about to-!"** She didn't get to finish before I saw Zhao sweep his hand back with a shout, preparing to finish the job.

"NO!" I screamed, leaping forward, trying to do anything I could to save the fish in time. It wasn't enough. The blast of fire cut through the water and to the fish, sending excess flames everywhere. I covered my face from the heat, my eyes wide with horror as I stared at the giant gash on the moon spirit's back.

I looked up to the sky just as it turned dark, nothing to light it anymore. Suddenly blasts of fire drew my attention. Iroh growled as he launched flames at Zhao who barely managed to block them before his men took over the fight in front of him.

Iroh took them all out in seemingly seconds. If it were any other time I would've been awed at the man's skill, but I was too busy being horrified at the death of the spirit. As I ran with the others to the front of the pond I vaguely noticed that Zhao had run off somewhere before Iroh could get him.

Uncle Iroh had lifted the dead fish from the pond and was staring at it sadly. Yue's eyes teared up as she leaned into Sokka.

"There's no hope now, it's over…" she stated in resignation. I gasped and squeaked in surprise as Aang lit up next to me. I recognized the Avatar state as his tattoos glowed and when he opened his eyes they too were glowing, so was his mouth for some reason.

" **No, it's not over."** He said in a voice deeper than his own. Walking into the middle of the koi pond he stood still, staring down at the only fish left, the spirit of the ocean. Aang looked pretty terrifying right now with that glare of his and the glowing features. Suddenly the fish glowed too and Aang dropped down into the pond, his entire body disappearing.

Blue, veiny water seemed to seep out of the pond and light up the whole area. It flowed out of the oasis and down into the city. I stared in awe as Aang became a giant, glowing koi fish. He began attacking the fire nation, taking out soldiers wherever he went.

"…Aang was right, the spirits did unleash a crazy spirit attack on the fire nation." I absently mumbled as I watched the scene. Shaking my head I looked back to the koi pond as Uncle Iroh gently laid the fish back into the water.

"It's too late, it's dead." Katara stated as she stared at it. We all looked down somberly as the moon spirit swam around the dead fish. Iroh glanced over at Yue and his eyes widened in recognition.

"You have been touched by the moon spirit; some of its life is in you." He said, pointing at her. My eyes widened at the implications and I looked over at Yue.

"Yes, you're right. It gave me life…maybe I can give it back." She said in determination. Standing up she began to walk to the pond, but Sokka's hand grasped her wrist tightly.

"No! You don't have to do that!" He protested. She just stared at the floor.

"It's my duty." She stated, already knowing what she had to do. I stared up at her sadly.

"Yue…" I muttered. I didn't want her to do this. She didn't deserve something like this when she already spent most of her life doing her duty to her people, she didn't need to die for them too. But, I also saw truth in her words. She was the only one who could save the moon spirit and therefore save the world from chaos. She smiled at me sadly before Sokka cut in.

"I won't let you do this! Your father told me to protect you!" He insisted angrily. Yue was silent, but her eyes tightened and she pulled her hand away.

"I have to do this." Walking over to the fish, she laid her hands over the burn. A light surrounded it and I watched as the light faded as quickly as it came. I looked back at Yue as she let out a small gasp before falling to the floor. I put my hands over my mouth as I watched.

"No!" Sokka shouted, catching her. He put his hands on her face, but pulled them away sadly.

"She's gone…she's gone." He muttered, clutching her closer to his body. I clenched my eyes shut as a few tears escaped. She didn't deserve this. If only I hadn't closed my connection to Agni, she would've been able to warn me faster and I would've been able to do something. It was my fault the spirit died, it…it was my fault.

Arms wrapped around me and I looked up and saw Katara giving me a small smile as she hugged me. I hugged her tightly back, burying my face into her parka as tears streamed down my face in sadness and guilt.

Suddenly another glow caught my attention and I looked up. Yue's body had disappeared and the koi fish was glowing again. It began to swim again now that it was filled with life. The whole pond lit up and I gasped as a ghost-like Yue appeared in front of us. She floated in front of my brother and held his face in her hands.

" _Goodbye Sokka, I'll always be with you."_ She promised before leaning down and kissing him. I honestly didn't need to see my brother kissing anyone, but considering the circumstances I just smiled sadly at them. Who knows, maybe in a different life Yue would've been my sister-in-law. She disappeared right after the action and the full moon lit up the sky again.

Yue became the moon spirit. I sighed at the thought. At least she wasn't gone forever, but she just went from duty to duty. I wonder if spirits get days off or something. Frowning at the pond I thought what would've happened if I had reacted sooner. What if I had-?

" **Kai, don't blame yourself."** Agni's chiding voice cut into my head again.

" _But I could've saved her. Yue would've been alive right now if I hadn't messed up."_

"Kai, do not blame yourself for things out of your control. This is Zhao's fault and no one else's. You must forgive yourself and move on." Vayu added gently.I sighed.

" _If you see Yue over there, tell her I'm sorry."_ I stated anyways. I felt their resignation to my guilt through the connection as well as their affirmative answers. I couldn't forgive myself, not yet at least. Maybe someday, but Vayu was right about one thing. I needed to move forward and learn from my mistakes. _I promise I won't let something like this happen again._ I looked up at the new moon in the sky. At least I had a reminder every night so I couldn't forget my promise.

* * *

We stared out over the ocean as the moon began to set. The city was a lot quieter now that the battle was over. Pakku stood with us and began to speak.

"I've decided to go to the South Pole, some other benders and healers want to join me. It's time we helped rebuild our sister tribe." He explained. Katara shot a look over at Aang who was standing off to the side.

"What about Aang? He still needs to learn waterbending." She said. Pakku turned to face her with a smile.

"Well, he better get used to calling you _master_ Katara." He replied. She smiled back at him happily as I walked over to Aang's side. He was staring at the ocean with a sad expression.

"You know, I thought I would've been able to save everyone this time. That I could help them, and not run away like before. But, I couldn't save the spirit and Yue had to pay for that." He finally said after a few moments of silence. I glanced at him, a little surprised that he was feeling guilty just like I was. He didn't need to feel guilty for this. There was nothing he could've done to-

" **Oh?"** Agni cut in, Vayu quickly following after.

"How interesting."

I could practically feel their smugness seeping through the link as I basically just repeated their same words. I mentally face palmed. I was already beginning to regret my new resolution to cut off our link less.

"… _Shut up."_ I grumbled before turning towards Aang with a sigh.

"Aang, trust me I know how you feel. But, you shouldn't blame yourself for this. You're not always going to be able to save everyone, and you did end up saving most of the people here tonight. Even if you can't forgive yourself yet what we're supposed to do now is move on and become stronger, so it doesn't happen again." I explained, shooting him a smile.

He looked back over at me for a moment before smiling as well. He patted me on the shoulder as we looked up over at the moon.

"Thanks Kai." He said gratefully. Suddenly a hand was laid on both of our shoulders. I glanced behind me to see Katara smiling at the both of us. We turned to face her and smiled at each other before going in for a group hug. Aang wrapped his arms around me and Katara as we did the same. Hearing a little noise I looked behind us and saw Momo staring at us, left out of the love.

"Come here Momo." I said, holding my arms out to the lemur. He immediately leaped at me and snuggled up on my shoulder. Katara giggled as he rubbed his face against hers. Sokka walked over to us with a smile on his face, I was glad that he was feeling better. He stood with us as we all looked up at the moon, even Appa joined in.

Everything was quiet now and the seas were calm. There were minimal casualties and we won the fight.

I was thankful that the battle was over, and for the princess who became the moon.

* * *

 **That's a wrap on chapter 19! Sorry for the shortness compared to other chapters, but most of the beginning was centered on Aang and Koh. You guys have no idea how tempted I was to somehow have Kai save Yue, but it would've messed with things in the future and I felt like Kai needed to grow from this. Anyways, thanks for reading!**

 **PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL!**

 **Next time we'll be starting Book 2, The Avatar State.**


	20. Chapter 20: The Avatar State

**Chapter 20: The Avatar State**

 **Hey guys! Gosh, I'm surprised that I was able to post this with my finals coming up and all. For those of you whose finals are also coming up, I wish you the best of luck!–Cleo**

 **Rosezelene Ersa: Wow, thank you so much for the amazing review! You really know how to make an author feel good about themselves** **. I'm glad you've like the story so far and how I've written it out. I'm definitely going to continue this story since people actually like it. I hope you continue to read and enjoy it!**

 **FOR THOSE OF YOU that are wondering if I'm going to pair Kai with Aang, honestly it was never my intention to do so. The reason I made Kai go sledding with Aang is the same reason I made them the same age. I felt that even within his small group of friends Aang never really had someone he could talk to just as a friend that understands him since Katara is his crush, Sokka is like an older brother, and Toph was like the annoying little sister. The role I made Kai to play is as his best friend. I can see why you guys thought I would take that route, and I'm sorry to those of you that were hoping I would, but I still don't plan on messing with the canon pairings.**

 **Princess of Miracles: I agree, Yue seemed to just be handed bad situations. I felt bad for her and especially now that she's an immortal being that has to live out her duty for all time.**

 **Cupcake: Thanks! I'm glad you like their interactions. About the whole Aang x Kai thing, as I said before it's not in the plan. But, if you want I could make a oneshot about it in my other story 'Life with Kai'.**

 **Purplechic13: I am feeling very accomplished XD! I'm glad you liked the finale and the fact I kept it the same. It was** _ **super**_ **tempting. This chapter is also one of my favorite episodes and it was fun to write! Hope you enjoy.**

 **Momochan77: I know right! It's so sad…but, I do have to admit I find Suki a better fit for Sokka since she's a strong warrior and will keep him in check.**

 **Anyways, here's the chapter. Hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

 **Poll Results:  
Seishin (Sei): 3  
Kin: 3  
Surya (Suri): 1  
**

* * *

I squeaked in alarm as I was suddenly awaken from my slumber. The hammock that I was on was still shaking slightly from the motion above me. My eyes narrowed as I wondered what made Aang jump like that. I watched as he jumped off of his hammock and climbed the ladder that lead to the deck, unaware that he had awaken me. Glancing across the room I saw that Katara had woken up as well.

The both of us shared a look before getting out of our hammocks and following Aang up to the ship's deck. Once I reached the top I immediately spotted Aang standing by the ship's railing, leaning against it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Katara questioned as she went to stand at his left side. I went to his right, silently watching the interaction.

"Nah, it was just a nightmare." He mumbled. I tilted my head as I looked at him. He seemed to get a lot of those. After a few seconds of silence he seemed to change his mind and began to speak.

"I was in the Avatar state, but I was outside my body watching myself. It was scary… _I_ was scary." He finally announced. Katara put her hand on his shoulder in comfort as I nudged his shoulder lightly.

"Hey, I admit I was pretty terrified the first time it happened too. But, do you remember what happened the other two times?" I questioned with a raised brow. He just frowned at the water.

"Yeah, I basically destroyed a temple and attacked an entire fire nation fleet." He grumbled out. I shook my head.

"That's not what I remember. I remember you saving us from Zhao and saving the entire North Pole from the fire nation's clutches by turning into an awesome spirit fish. Focus on that instead." I offered him a small smile before a yawn escaped my lips and I stretched my arms out above my head. These late night comfort sessions are cutting into my sleep time. I patted Aang's shoulder before giving him and Katara some privacy, going below deck. She could handle him for now.

If he still had the whole 'woe is me' face by tomorrow, _then_ I'll kick his butt back into motion.

* * *

We all stood before Pakku and some other water benders on the deck as we prepared to leave. The old man stepped forward, smiling. Shocker, I know. He held out a small container attached to a string as he looked at my sister.

"Katara, I want you to have this. This amulet contains water from the spirit oasis. The water has unique properties, don't lose it." He ordered. Katara stepped forward and thanked him with a hug before heading to Appa. Next was Aang.

"Aang, these scrolls will help you master water bending, but remember. They're no substitute for a real master." Pakku stated, handing Aang a small box full of scrolls before they both glanced at Katara. Guess I was next. Stepping forwards I tilted my head in confusion, wondering what I would get.

"Kai, I'm sorry that I am unable to help you with your bending. But, we were able to obtain some fire bending scrolls from some ships. I hope they'll be helpful." He said with a small smile, holding out a couple rolled up scrolls. Not much, but anything helped. I grabbed them before shooting the man a smirk.

"Aw, look who's finally warming up to me. I can just _feel_ the love flowing off of you like-." I was cut off by a rope of water that formed around my body and basically threw me onto Appa. I laughed as I waved over the bison's side.

"You know you're gonna miss me!" I shouted. Aang was laughing behind his hand as Katara just shook her head, the small quirk in the corner of her lips betraying her amusement.

"Do you really need to aggravate him like that?" She questioned with a sigh. I just shrugged. Yes, yes I do.

Sokka crawled up on Appa's back next, hands empty and face pouting. I patted his shoulder with a smirk. I guess Pakku didn't give the guy anything.

"Fly straight to the earth kingdom base to the east of here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There, you'll be safe to begin your earth bending training with King Bumi." Pakku explained as we prepared to take off. I still didn't understand why we even needed an escort. We have the Avatar, a master water bender, a fire bender, and…okay maybe Sokka didn't count. But, we still don't need a babysitter!

"Say hi to Gran Gran for us!" Katara shouted back as Appa took off. I flopped onto my back, laying my head on Katara's lap.

"Wake me when we get there." I mumbled tiredly. Seriously, I need more sleep. Katara just giggled at my laziness before beginning to stroke my head. Sokka began grumbling to our side.

"Why can't I get that kind of treatment?"

"Shut up Sokka."

* * *

"There it is! The-Oof!" I cut Sokka off with a punch to the gut as he woke me up from my slumber. I sat up, rubbing my eyes to clear the sleep out of them before looking over the side of Appa's saddle.

"Oh, we are here." I stated simply, staring at the earth base as we flew closer and ignoring my brother's muffled grunt of pain. Katara just sighed at us. _What? He woke me up._

Aang landed Appa on the courtyard of the base and we all scrambled to get off. I stretched my numb legs out, trying to get some feeling back into them as a bearded man approached us.

"Welcome Avatar Aang! I am General Fong." Fong and his entourage of earth benders bowed in greeting. I shot them a peace sign before going back to my numb legs.

"And welcome to all of you, great heroes! Appa, Momo, Brave Sokka, the Mighty Katara, and the Ferocious Kai." He said in greeting. I snorted at the 'Brave Sokka' part. Katara smiled in a pleased fashion from next to me.

"The Mighty Katara? I like that." She stated. I rolled my eyes before shooting her a smirk.

"You would, personally I think I should be called the Supreme overlord of Awesomeness." I said, nodding my head with finality. She rolled her eyes at me this time before bumping my shoulder lightly. I just shrugged. It was true.

Suddenly our attention was drawn over to fireworks that began exploding behind us. Geez, they were really going all out with this flattery thing.

"Not bad, not bad." Sokka said with a giant grin. He obviously loved the attention. I looked over to the General and crossed my arms.

"Okay, what do you want?" I questioned with a frown. I knew this routine. Flatter the targets before asking for something in return. Not that I've ever done this before. Of course not.

He just smiled at me, a glint in his eyes before motioning towards the doors behind us.

"Please, this way."

* * *

"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed by the stories of how you single handedly wiped out an entire fire navy fleet at the North Pole. I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility." General Fong commented, stroking his beard. I mentally face palmed. He's only making this worse. I saw Aang's slight wince at the words before he shrugged it off.

"I try not to think about it too much." He responded with a small smile. The General smiled back at him before continuing.

"Avatar, you're ready to face the fire lord now."

…

…

…Eh?

"WHAT?!" Aang and I shouted at the same time. This guy's crazy! Aang' hasn't even started to learn earth bending and his water bending needs work too.

"No I'm not!" Aang protested, obviously agreeing with my thoughts.

"Aang still needs to master all four elements!" Katara interjected. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, no offence to Aang, but I think he's gonna need a bit more than air before we go against the fire lord." I added. Fong just sat there calmly staring back at us, his smile gone now.

"Why? With the kind of power he possesses? Power enough to take down hundreds of battle ships in a matter of minutes? He could defeat the fire lord now!" He insisted, raising his voice as he stood up. I glared at him. This guy was too pushy for my liking.

"But sir, the thing is Aang can only do those things while he's in the Avatar state." Sokka explained.

"See, it's this special state where-." Fong cut off Aang's explanation with a wave of his hand.

"I'm well aware. Your eyes and tattoos glow, and you're able to control unbelievable power." He forgot to add the part where Aang's mouth glows too. He also said the word power _way_ too much. Someone's a control freak.

"Be careful Kai, I do not trust this man's intentions." Vayu's voice stated within my mind. I minutely nodded in agreement. I didn't either.

" **Also, you need to train more tonight! Don't worry, I'll help!"** This time I just cringed. Agni may seem like a happy, nice person. But, she's a slave driver when it comes to training. My attention was drawn back over to the general as he walked over to a map and continued speaking.

"Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we even reached their shores. But, with you leading the way as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a path right through to the heart of the fire nation." He stated, pointing at the map. Aang rubbed the back of his head before responding.

"Right, but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar state, much less what to do when I'm there." He stated, looking down at the floor with a frown. I put my hand on his shoulder before looking up at General Fong. He just stared back at us before abruptly nodding.

"So it's decided then. I'll help you get into the Avatar State, then you'll face your destiny." He basically decided for us. I glared at the guy.

"You can't tell us what to do. And I doubt you could really help anyways!" I protested. This guy's idea of help probably would've been to throw Aang off a cliff and expect him to go into the Avatar State.

"Yeah, we already have a plan! Aang's pursuing _his_ destiny _his_ way!" Katara added as we all stood up. I smirked at the general and crossed my arms. _Yeah, tell him Katara!_

"Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war goes on. May I show you something?" Fong pointed over to a window and motioned for Aang to follow him. I went to follow them, but Aang just shook his head. I stopped in my path, staring him down for a second before nodding with a sigh.

I walked back over to where my siblings were and sat down with a huff.

"I don't like this Fong guy." I said with a glare. Katara nodded in agreement as Sokka just crossed his arms.

"I don't think it's a bad idea. But, whatever Aang decides, we need to support him." He insisted. I looked over in the direction of Aang.

Right, kicking his butt if he lets the general bully him around is a form of support in my book.

* * *

Katara, Sokka, and I all sat around the room that General Fong set up for us. Aang hadn't come back after going off with him, and I was beginning to get worried. I absentmindedly stroked Momo's head as we all waited.

The door suddenly opened as Aang walked in, a frown on his face. I quickly sat up to face him as he sat down on a bed.

"…I told General Fong that I'd help him, by going into the Avatar state." Aang finally said. I gaped at him. No way!

"Aang, no! This is not the right way." Katara immediately protested, me nodding at her side.

"Why not? Remember when he took out the fire navy? He was incredible!" Sokka interjected as he lay on a bed. I shot him a glare, about to give him a piece of my mind when Katara cut in.

"There's a right way to do this; practice, study, and discipline." Katara insisted. I cringed. Okay, she wasn't helping that sound like the 'right way' to me. Sounded pretty boring. But! Aang didn't need to be forced into doing this early. All kinds of things could go wrong if he didn't master the elements before trying to master the Avatar state.

My thoughts drifted back to this morning on the boat. Sure I didn't want Aang to fear the Avatar State, but I didn't want him to feel like he had to force it to solve the world's problems either.

"Or, he could just glow it up and stomp that fire lord." Sokka added lazily. I groaned.

"Men, I swear you guys have a one track mind." I mumbled. I was hoping it was just Sokka. Katara suddenly stood up in frustration.

"If you two meat-heads want to throw away everything we've worked for then go ahead, glow it up!" She exclaimed before marching out of the room angrily. Aang reached out for her.

"Katara! I'm just being realistic! I don't have time to do things the right way!" His shouts falling on deaf ears as Katara slammed the door behind her. I sighed before standing up to go after my sister. Aang turned to me with a begging look in his eyes.

"Kai…" He muttered. I could see him basically pleading with me to understand, and I did. I understood why he wanted to end things early, but I still knew that this wasn't right.

"We didn't go through everything so you could just throw it away…Yue didn't die and become the moon so you could try to cheat your way out." I threw behind me before walking out of the room. Was that a low blow to both the boys? Probably. But, they were both being idiots anyways.

I found Katara sitting on a balcony outside. She was staring up at the moon. I walked over and sat next to her, noting the aggravated frown on her face. We sat in silence for a few seconds before she spoke up.

"Why do boys feel the need to do everything with power and glowing abilities?" She groaned out in frustration. I sighed and shook my head.

"Testosterone, ego, pigheadedness, take your pick." I responded with a shrug. She snorted in amusement before nodding.

"I remember when Sokka got a cold when we were little. He was so stubborn that he didn't mention it to anyone and he just kept trying to push his way through it before mom finally caught him after he passed out. She didn't let him out of the house for at least a week after that." Katara said with a giggle. I laughed as well. That sounded like him. It got silent again as our minds went back to Aang.

"I know what you said this morning was true. Aang's done a lot of good in the Avatar state, but it _is_ scary no matter what we say. But, it's not scary because of what he does, it's scary because I see all the rage and pain in his face. That's what scares me." Katara explained as she hugged herself. I looked down to the ground as I thought about it. Okay, maybe it was a _little_ scary. Looking back over at Katara I shot her a small smile.

"Well, why don't you try to explain that to him? I think it might help." I offered. She seemed to think about it before smiling back at me. Okay, that's enough of this topic for me. Standing up I brushed the dirt off of my pants.

"I gotta go train. Agni's been nagging me about it." I said with a roll of my eyes, ignoring Agni's angry shouts in my head. Katara stood up as well and tilted her head at me.

"Is…is it okay if I can watch for a while? I don't think I really want to go back to the room right now anyways." She said with a small shrug. My eyes widened slightly in surprise. She's never wanted to see my training before. I assumed it was because she still didn't like fire. Looks like she was finally getting over that. I smirked at her and nodded my head.

"Sure thing, maybe we could even spar. Having Pakku be the one to kick my butt all the time was getting pretty tiring."  
…

The next morning there were mysterious holes in the courtyard that looked suspiciously like the shape of a 12 year old girl. And Katara had a smug grin on her face as I sported new bruises.

Stinkin' master water benders…

* * *

"This rare chi enhancing tea is a natural stimulant. In a normal warrior it improves strength and energy tenfold. In you, it might just induce the Avatar State." A man explained as he dropped something into a pot of tea before pouring it out into a cup. Katara, Sokka, and I sat behind Aang as he was handed the cup.

"Tenfold energy, huh?" He muttered in thought before taking a sip. The only warning we had was a twitch of his eyebrow before the tea kicked in. Suddenly he disappeared from his spot only to reappear, scootering around us and on the ceiling with his air ball at top speed. I got dizzy just watching him go around, and around, and around…yup, I'm gonna be sick.

"Is it working, is it working?! I can't tell! Somebody tell me if I'm in the Avatar State cause I don't have a good view of myself! Am I talking too loud?!" Aang shouted in an insanely high voice.

"I guess he could talk the fire lord to death." Sokka grumbled, laying his head on his hand. I stared at the tea with a contemplating look when a hand suddenly grabbed the top of my head.

"Yeah, no. You're definitely not getting any of that." Katara stated as she looked over at me. I shrugged with a sheepish smile. What? It looked fun.

* * *

"Maybe I can shock you into the Avatar State." Sokka said as he stood in front of Aang. Aang smiled in excitement as Katara cover his eyes.

"I love surprises!" He insisted. I placed Momo in the top of Sokka's shirt as he ducked his head down. Katara immediately uncovered Aang's eyes. Right as he opened them Momo screeched in his face.

"AAH!" Aang screamed as he fell backwards before glancing at his hands. He held them up towards the still Momofied Sokka.

"Still not glowing." He stated simply. I laughed as Sokka fell to the side.

"I don't see what's so surprising. They look exactly the same anyways."

* * *

"You are wearing a ceremonial piece of clothing from each of the bending nations. Now, I will join the four elements into one! Water, earth, fire, and air! Four elements together as one!" The old cook announced before throwing the vat of mud onto Aang who was dressing in funky clothes. Aang looked down at himself.

"This is just mud." He said observantly. The man raised a brow at him as we all waited.

"So, do you feel anything?" he questioned. We all held our breaths as Aang held up a finger, his nose twitching. Suddenly he let out an air enhanced sneeze, launching the mud at all of us. I leapt out of the way as the mud made contact with Sokka, Katara, and General Fong. Hmph, that guy deserved it.

He wiped the mud off of his face as Katara just water bended it off of herself.

"We have to find a way."

* * *

I frowned as I scrutinized the fire bending scrolls that Pakku gave me. These moves were really interesting. I couldn't wait to try them!

" **Hm…I would start with the fire whips, they seem helpful."** Agni offered mentally. I nodded in agreement. Sometimes it was really helpful to have the fire spirit be your trainer. My attention was drawn over to the door way as Katara walked into our shared room, her arms wrapped around herself. I tilted my head in confusion, wondering what happened.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, already rolling up the scrolls. Katara sat down on her bed with a dejected look on her face.

"I explained it to Aang, why it's scary. But, he's still set on doing this. I told him I wouldn't go with him tomorrow. I just can't watch him do that to himself." She sighed, looking down. I nodded in understanding.

"I get it, don't worry. I'm sure he'll come to his senses. He just needs to process everything right now." I offered with a smile. She sighed again and nodded, but I could tell that she didn't really believe me. I snuffed out the lights with a wave of my hand and lay back on the bed.

"Try not to worry too much about it right now Katara. Good night." I muttered before closing my eyes, vaguely hearing the whispered response in return as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _I was staring into a wall of fire. It shifted before me, burning brightly. Something moved below me making me glance down in alarm, only to relax once I had realized that I was riding my golden spirit express._

 _I looked back up at the wall of fire only to squeak in alarm once I realized that we were heading straight for it, at very high speeds might I add._ I'm out! _I tried to jump off the dragon, but something was gluing my legs in place. I tried pulling on her head, trying to get her to turn but the thing was very stubborn._

 _I looked back up at the wall of fire, but something was different now. There was a hole in the center. And in that hole was…Agni? She was holding her arms out with a sad smile on her face, Vayu was nowhere to be seen. There was a burning feeling inside of my chest and I clutched it in pain. What was going on?_

 _I closed my eyes as we finally reached the wall of fire, expecting pain, but nothing happened. I tentatively opened my eyes, only to gasp in alarm. Instead of facing the wall of fire, I was_ in _the wall of fire. Instead of Agni holding her arms out it was me. What the heck?! I looked around frantically as her voice drifted all around me._

" _ **I'm sorry…"**_

* * *

I gasped as I sat up in the bed. Sweat dripped down my fore head as I clutched my chest tightly. _What was that all about?_ I hadn't had a dream like this in forever. I shivered as the wind blew through an open window in our room. I could sense Agni and Vayu's confusion towards my state of mind, but I cut off the connection for now. I didn't really feel like talking to them, or more specifically her, right after that dream.

Lying back down on the bed I shifted around, closing my eyes and trying to fall back asleep, but I could tell it was futile. My mind drifted back to when I used to have nightmares as a kid, I would always…nope! I'm not a toddler anymore! I'm not gonna…!

I glanced over at my sister's sleeping form and growled in frustration. Ugh, fine. But, just this once.

I quietly lifted the blankets off of my body and set my feet onto the floor. Slowly tiptoeing over to the other bed I mentally cursed myself. Sighing inaudibly, I pulled the covers up and slithered into Katara's bed right next to her. I could feel her stiffen slightly in surprise before she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

She looked down at what had woken her up and jolted in shock at seeing me, lying there with a frown.

"…Kai? What's wrong?" She questioned. I huffed before turning on my side to face away from her.

"I…had a bad dream." I finally mumbled in response. It was silent behind me for a second before a stifled giggle made me turn back with a glare. Katara was covering her mouth as her face shone with amusement.

"Hmph, whatever!" I grumbled at her teasing face, going to head back to my own bed. A hand on my shoulder stopped me as Katara finally calmed down.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you I swear! It's just, sometimes I forget you're only 12." She offered with a shrug. I tilted my head in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned. She just shook her head and motioned for me to lay back down. I stared at her in suspicion before obliging. We lay there in silence for a few seconds before Katara just _had_ to cut in again.

"I remember how you just _loved_ to cuddle with your big sis when you were little."

"Katara, you're going to have a very rude awakening tomorrow."

* * *

I stared down at the scrolls in front of me with a critical look. The current move I was looking at was the most difficult that I've seen. It was also the most dangerous. _Lightning._ Agni had forbidden me from even attempting it before I got better control of my chi.

Even the stances were different from the normal ones. These ones resembled water bending in the flowing movements. And instead of pushing your chi out at once with regular fire, you have to build it up first before letting it out in an explosion.

I sighed, rolling up the scrolls before standing up to work on the simpler moves. Suddenly a loud crash echoed from outside making me jump in alarm. _What in Agni's name was that?!_

I quickly ran out of the room and headed towards the courtyard where the noise came from. Just as I arrived I saw Aang standing in the middle of a circle of earth benders.

"Men, attack the Avatar!" I heard General Fong yell out making my eyes widen in alarm. What?! I jumped off of the balcony and landed next to Aang, kicking a blast of fire out at the first earth bender in reach.

"What the heck is going on here Aang?!" I questioned as I ducked underneath a flying rock.

"I have no idea!" He insisted. Suddenly Fong jumped out of a hole from the tower in front of us and landed roughly on the ground, making us jump out of the way as a wave of earth came at us.

"What're you doing?!" Aang asked angrily. The man just smirked at us.

"I believe we are about to get results." Is all he said. I stared at him incredulously. This was all to get Aang into the Avatar state?! I looked over at Aang with a glare.

"I told you so!" He just groaned in annoyance before we were forced apart by a circular rock. Now, Aang was lucky. He had his fancy-smancy dance moves that let him dodge most of what came at him. Me on the other hand, well let's just say I was gonna feel this in the morning.

I grunted in pain as a boulder suddenly slammed into my gut, sending me hurling towards another. I quickly shot fire from my feet to counteract the force and rolled away from other rocks. Disks were flying from everywhere. I bent over backwards with a squeak as one came dangerously close to taking my head.

Glancing over at Aang I noticed that he had a lot more earth benders on his tail. It was actually pretty impressive how he managed to leap through the center of the disks like that. My attention was drawn back to the flying rocks as I shot my flame covered fist out, destroying the one in my face. I started running forward and power slid under the legs of some earth benders before sliding my legs out and tripping them.

"You can't run forever!" I looked back over to see Fong attacking Aang.

"You can't fight forever!" He retorted, jumping out of the way as Fong threw a punch at him.

I groaned in frustration. _Aang, you just jinxed us!  
_

* * *

I panted in exhaustion as I leapt out of another rock's path. Seriously, this was not fun. Another earth bender suddenly appeared before me, rock overhead. Just as he was about to brutally crush me, a whip of water hit him on the head sending him to the ground.

I sighed in relief. Katara joined the fight. She ran over to me and held out her hand, a concerned frown on her face.

"You okay?"

"I've been better." I grunted in response, grabbing her hand and pulling myself up. We both stood back to back as earth benders surrounded us. Suddenly General Fong appeared in front of us with his annoying face. He glanced back at Aang who had somehow gotten on the balcony.

"Maybe you can avoid me, but they can't!" He shouted. I looked at him with wide eyes. Uh oh.

Suddenly I felt Katara drop from beside me making me glance back in alarm. She shouted in surprise as she was suddenly sucked into the earth up to her knees.

"Katara!" I exclaimed just before I was given the same treatment. I tried pulling my legs out, but the ground had a tight grip on my legs. I could've tried my bending, but I don't think melting my legs with lava was the answer.

"We can't move!" Katara shouted to Aang. He looked down at us with wide eyes before glaring at Fong.

"Let them go!" He shouted, jumping off of the balcony and sending a blast of air at the General who blocked it with ease. I glanced behind me as Sokka suddenly appeared, riding one of the bird-horse thingies.

"Katara! Kai!" He exclaimed, riding towards us before his bird's legs were sucked in also. He was sent flying through some of the earth disks as the bird struggled to get out. I grabbed Katara's arms, trying to pull her out myself but she was just as stuck as I was.

"Please, you have to let them go!" Aang stated as he ran over to Fong. The man just stared down at him coldly.

"You could save them right now if you were in the Avatar state!" He retorted. Aang's face scrunched in exertion as he tried to do just that.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" He insisted desperately, tears beginning to leak out of his eyes. I squeaked in alarm as I suddenly sand down to my waist, Katara getting the same treatment.

"Aang, we're sinking!" Katara announced. I struggled angrily against the earth as it continued to suck us in.

"Why do we always end up getting attacked?!" I questioned in frustration. Honestly, it was becoming a normal thing.

"I don't see glowing!" Fong continued. I glared at the crazy guy.

"Go shove your face in a volcano! I'm sure you'll see a bright light then!" I exclaimed. I could probably make some homemade lava for him right now if he wanted.

"Please! You don't have to do this!" Aang begged, falling to his knees in desperation as Katara and I slipped down to our necks. The general just glared at Aang.

"Apparently, I do." That was the last thing I heard before I was completely sucked into darkness.

…

…

…

Well, I wasn't dead. I was just surrounded by darkness, and I couldn't exactly breathe but that still meant I wasn't dead. I heard crashed from above and lots of shouting as I sat in darkness before I was suddenly yanked back to the surface again.

"-just to trigger the Avatar state, and it worked!" Fong shouted in glee from beside me as I gasped for breath. There were crazy winds whipping all around me as I looked up. It was Aang. He was on top of a tornado as the Avatar state took a hold of him. I glanced to my right, relieved to see Katara there too.

I covered my face to block the dust from my eyes as the winds picked up around us. An arm wrapped around me, shielding me. I clutched Katara's shirt as we watched Aang suddenly crash down to the ground, sending waves of rocks everywhere and destroying everything. Luckily the rocks went around Katara and I so we weren't touched.

The winds began to settle as Aang stood in the middle of the courtyard. I could've sworn that I saw some glowing thing pass into him before he collapsed onto the ground. He stood back up shakily before looking around him, surveying the damage with sad eyes. Katara and I immediately stood up and ran over to him.

She hugged him as he fell to his knees.

"I'm sorry Katara, I hope you guys never have to see me like that again." He mumbled as they hugged it out. I smiled sadly at them before my attention was drawn to General Crazy again.

"Hah! Are you joking? That was almost perfect! We just have to find out a way to control you when you're like that." He insisted, smiling evilly in my opinion. We all glared at him.

"You're out of your mind." Aang stated bluntly. The man ignored him.

"I guess we'll just figure it out on the way to the fire nation-." He was cut off as Sokka suddenly smacked the back of his head with his club, knocking the man out immediately.

"Anyone got a problem with that?" Sokka questioned. The earth benders shared a look before shaking their heads ferverently. They walked over to us, bowing slightly.

"Do you still want an escort to Omashu?" One of them questioned tentatively. I rolled my eyes.

"I never wanted one in the first place." I grumbled in annoyance. Katara just looked at them and shook her head.

"I think we've got it covered." She replied, declining their offer. We all boarded Appa and flew off. I laid back in the saddle, my arms behind my head.

"See, you guys should listen to me more often. I hate escorts." I stated with finality. The others rolled their eyes at me with smiles on their faces.

"Fine, you were right this time. You happy now?" Sokka asked, crossing his arms. I smirked at him and held a hand up to my ear.

"What was that? You're so happy to have me around and I'm awesome? Why thank you Sokka!"

"Don't push it."

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Hope you liked this chapter. I felt like adding a little bit of sisterly bonding for the two girls today. And please vote on the poll!**

 **Next time: The Cave of Two Lovers**


	21. Chapter 21: The Cave of Two Lovers

**Chapter 21: The Cave of Two Lovers**

 **Hey guys! Oh geez, almost 7 months…I'm so sorry for the giant lag in updates! Things have been tough at home and it's been hard to find motivation to write lately, but I'm sure you guys don't want to hear me rant XD so let's get to the poll update then the story! By the way, there were a lot of reviews last chapter! Thanks for responses!**

 **POLL UPDATE** **: We have a winner! The name will be revealed in the next chapter!  
**

* * *

 **I will be responding to reviews via PM now because if I put it in the chapter it takes over a page. So watch your inboxes!  
**

* * *

"You guys are gonna be done soon right? We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to make it to Omashu by today." Sokka stated as he floated by on a giant leaf raft. Currently we were stopped at a large lake for waterbending practice before heading over to Omashu. I was sitting on a flat stone in the water, looking at some other scrolls that I had gotten from Jeong Jeong and Pakku while Katara and Aang practiced.

Rolling my eyes at Sokka's statement I focused back onto the scrolls. I _really_ wanted to try to bend lightning, but Agni still wouldn't let me. Plus, I don't think bending lightning in a giant lake of water while the others were in it was the best idea. Katara rolled her eyes as well before smirking over at Sokka.

"What? Like you're ready to go right now, naked guy?" She questioned, straightening out of her stance. I groaned and furiously rubbed my eyes.

" _Please_ don't remind me. I'm trying to burn this image out of my mind." I interjected with a whine as Aang laughed in the background. Truth be told, seeing my brother in just his underwear was not on my to-do list for today, or ever.

"I can be ready in like, 2 minutes. Seriously, whenever." Sokka responded, ignoring my statement. I held my hand out and watched as a white flame flickered to life. Squeezing my hand into a fist, I concentrated on extending the flame as well as thinning it out. A white dagger of flame formed in my hand making me smile in accomplishment. It looked just like the one Zuko had used except for the color.

Putting my two hands together I added more fire into it making it longer and slightly wider. I had been working on my whole 'fire sword' idea and I must say, it looked pretty awesome. I added more flame and held out my hands. The flaming, white sword formed in my hands, making some steam form from the water right below it. I gave it a few experimental swings before letting it fade out of existence with a smirk on my face.

Sokka was looking at me with a jealous pout. I just stuck my tongue out at him. Wasn't my fault I was just so much cooler than him. Looking back over at Aang and Katara I barely held back a laugh at seeing Aang in some sort of giant, water octopus.

Suddenly my attention was drawn to the sound of music. We all looked over to the edge of the water and watched as a group of people appeared, dancing and singing might I add. Everything they were dressed in had flowers. _Wow, my first meeting with real hippies._

"Hey! River people!" The man in the front announced, pausing from his singing. He had on a robe and a flower necklace. His hair had some weird anti-gravity thing going on as it puffed out to the sides of his hat.

"We're not river people." Katara corrected. The man scrutinized us through half lidded eyes.

"Then what kind of people are you?" He questioned in a woozy voice. I raised an eyebrow at him. No offense, but he sounded drunk.

"Just…people." Aang oh so eloquently replied. The man let out a laugh before smiling at us.

"Aren't we all brother!" Sokka stalked up to the small group with a look of suspicion on his face. I promptly covered my eyes as he walked in front of me, still almost naked.

"Who are you?!" He questioned.

"I'm Chong, this is my wife Lily. We're nomads, happy to go wherever the wind takes us." The man, Chong explained before spontaneously rocking out on his…pipa? I didn't know much about instruments, but it looked like a pipa. I wasn't surprised that they were nomads. They looked like those kind of people. Being a nomad sounded kind of nice actually.

"You guys are nomads? That's great! I'm a nomad." Aang interjected. I uncovered my eyes and glanced over at him, seeing him smile happily. Chong smiled back before replying.

"Hey, me too!"…Uh, okay this guy was seriously drunk or something. Aang stared back, unimpressed.

"I know…you just said that." He stated. Chong rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before glancing back at my brother.

"Oh, hey nice underwear." He commented, pointing at Sokka. I groaned again and hid my face behind Katara making her giggle in amusement. I don't see how scarring me for life was funny.

* * *

"Hey Sokka, you should hear some of these stories! These guys have been everywhere!" Aang announced excitedly as my brother appeared again, thankfully fully clothed now. Katara and I were currently having our hair braided by a couple of the female nomads and Appa was getting the same treatment. Flowers were added to our hair and Aang had a ring of flowers around his head.

Geez, this was getting a bit too much for me. Thanking the woman behind me for doing my hair, I stood up and walked over to the side of Appa and 'accidentally' shook a few flowers from my hair. This was more Katara's, and apparently Aang's, thing than mine.

I remember that time Gran Gran tried to get me into a stuffy, pink, floral dress. Hah! The joke was on her. I ripped that thing up like confetti! Of course, I did get grounded for like, three months. But, it was totally worth it.

"Well, not everywhere little arrow-head. But where we haven't been, we've heard about through stories and songs." Chong explained lightly. Sokka looked at the man with a frown. I knew he wouldn't like these guys, they were too different. Sokka was all stuck up and loved schedules while these guys just went with the flow.

"They said they'd take us to see a giant night crawler." Aang added with a giant smile. I smirked over at him.

"You gonna try to ride that too?" I questioned, remembering our run in with the Unagi. He shot me a mock glare.

"I remember you joining me when I rode the giant koi fish." He retorted making me shrug. Hey, a giant koi fish isn't as crazy as a giant sea monster. Katara rolled her eyes at us.

"Neither of you are riding that thing." She stated simply. I smiled at her brightly.

"I'll take that as a challenge then." I ignored her resulting groan. Our attention was drawn back to Sokka as he stepped in front of us with a frown.

"Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara's too busy I guess it's up to me. We need to get to Omashu. No side tracks, no worms, and definitely no rainbows." He ordered. I laughed at Katara's face after the whole 'wet blanket' comment before Chong spoke up.

"Whoa, sounds like someone's got a case of destination fever. You're worried too much about where you're goin." He chuckled, flopping back onto the floor.

"You've got to focus less on the where, and more on the going." Lily added, with a relaxed smile. I just stared at her. And those are different how?

" **I like these people! They're so relaxed, it's refreshing!"** Agni suddenly stated in my mind, making me roll my eyes.

" _You would, these people sound like your kind of people. I would say Vayu's too, but I think they're a bit too…unfocused for him."_ I replied.

"Yes, I do believe I agree with your brother here. Getting to Omashu is your priority."

" **Hah! Vayu's admitting he's a wet blanket just like Sokka!"**

"I am not a so called 'wet blanket', I merely appreciate being on task."

" **To-may-to, to-ma-to!"**

"Agni-."

" _Ugh, you're both annoying me!"_ I cut off the connection with a frown, rubbing my head at the resulting headache. Just because I wanted to cut off the connection less didn't mean I wanted to listen to those two bicker like children 24/7.

"O-MA-SHU." Sokka drew my attention again as he annunciated every syllable clearly. Katara looked over at Chong from where she sat.

"Sokka's right, we need to find King Bumi so that Aang can learn earth bending somewhere safe." She explained. Chong lifted his head from the floor.

"Well, sounds like you're headin' to Omashu." Cue Sokka's face palm as Chong continued.

"There's an old story about a secret pass, right through the mountains." He announced, garnering an excited look from Aang. I admit, my curiosity was peaked as well. Katara looked at him skeptically.

"Is this real or a legend?" She questioned with a raised brow.

"Oh, it's a real legend all right. And it's as old as earth bending itself." He paused before beginning to strum the pipa as Lily and some other nomad joined in.

"Two lovers, forbidden from one another~  
The war, divides their people~  
And a mountain divides them apart~  
Build a path to be together~…and I forgot the next few lines, but then it goes  
Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel~!  
Through the mountains~!  
Secret secret secret secret tunnel~!" He finished the song with a pose, his finger pointed upwards as the nomads around him stopped dancing and we all clapped. It wasn't as good as my Kai song (Ch.2), but eh.

"I think we'll just stick with flying. We've dealt with the fire nation before, we'll be fine." Sokka finally said after the song was over. Aang and I stood up as well.

"Yeah, thanks for the help but Appa hates going underground. And we need to do whatever makes Appa the most comfortable!"

* * *

"AHH!" We all screamed as fire balls were shot at us from all directions. Seriously, it was like it was raining fire balls or something!

"Oh, 'we've dealt with the fire nation before, we'll be fine'! I totally blame you for this Sokka!"

* * *

"Secret love cave it is, let's go." Sokka grumbled as we arrived back at the lake with the nomads still there. We were covered in soot and ashes from head to toe. I punched Sokka's arm as I walked by him.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"I still blame you." I replied simply before the nomads stood and walked in front of us to lead. We followed them to a large valley with walls of rock bordering it. I finished brushing the soot off of my shirt as Sokka spoke.

"So, how far is this tunnel?" He questioned Chong who stood next to him.

"Actually it's not just one tunnel. The lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth." He explained with a relaxed smile…wait, what? Sokka froze and turned on the man with wide eyes.

"Labyrinth?!" He questioned loudly. Chong just shrugged, not even worried.

"Ah, I'm sure we'll figure it out." He responded lightly. I sighed. We're doomed.

"All you have to do is trust in love, according to the curse." Lily added. Great, this just kept getting better and better. I just shrugged it off. We've dealt with a lot worse things than a cursed labyrinth. Sokka froze up again and we all walked by him as he had his little mental freak out.

After a few more minutes of walking we finally arrived at the mouth of the cave. It was pitch black in there.

"So, what exactly is this curse anyways?" Sokka questioned nervously as he stared into the tunnel.

"The curse says that only those that trust in love can make it through the cave, otherwise you'll be trapped in there forever." Chong explained.

"And die." Lily just _had_ to add that as she walked over to her husband.

"Oh yeah, and die. Oh hey! I just remembered the rest of that song!" Walking a little bit into the cave Chong strummed his pipa.

"And die~." He sang in a low voice, it creepily echoed into the cave making me back up a bit. Just because I didn't think we would die in there meant I wanted to test fate. Sokka stomped in frustration.

"That's it! There's no way we're going into some cursed hole!" He exclaimed angrily, crossing his arms. One of the nomads suddenly lifted his finger, pointing behind us.

"Hey, someone's making a big campfire!" He announced. I glared at the sight of smoke rising in the distance.

"That's no campfire Moku." Katara responded with a frown. Huh, weird how she actually knew the guy's name this time.

"It's fire nation, they're tracking us." Sokka added. Aang looked down at the floor before glancing over at Chong again.

"So, all we need to do is trust in love to get through these caves?" He asked in curiosity. Chong nodded with a smile.

"That is correct, master arrow-head." He replied. I watched as Aang turned to stare at Katara, I could basically see the hearts in his eyes making me stifle my giggles behind my hand as Katara looked at me in confusion. Aang turned back to Chong and smiled.

"We can make it." He reassured happily. How sweet. Almost sickeningly so. Sokka groaned before waving us into the tunnel.

"Everyone into the hole!" He shouted. I glared at him as we ran in.

"You jinxed us again." I stated simply. He looked at me incredulously.

"How is this my fault?!" He questioned loudly. I shrugged.

"Stop saying things like 'there's no way we'll do blah-blah-blah' and then we won't be forced to do it." I explained. It seemed to be a trend that whenever Sokka said something like that, something happened that made us do it. Sokka looked like he was about to protest, but was cut off as I pushed him further into the labyrinth of death.

Suddenly the ground shook and we all looked back in horror as the entrance of the cave collapsed, trapping us in here. Wow, what jerks! The fire nation guys trapped us in here. Appa immediately began freaking out and clawed at the wall in desperation. Katara walked over to him and pet his side gently.

"It's okay Appa, we'll be fine…I hope." She mumbled. I walked over to the bison and stroked the side of his head, trying to calm him down.

"We will be fine. Chong, how long do those torches last?" Sokka questioned, turning towards Chong who had lit a torch immediately after we were trapped.

"Uh, about two hours each." He responded as he looked at the torch in his hand. Lily walked over and suddenly lit four more torches at once.

"And we have five torches which gives us ten hours!" She announced. Oh my gosh, even I'm not that dumb. Sokka quickly ran over to her and grabbed the torches out of her hands, stomping them out.

"It doesn't work like that if they're all lit at the same time!" He protested angrily before turning to me.

"Kai, how long can you keep a flame going?" I shrugged and held out my hand.

"Not sure, I haven't tested my full limits, but probably for at least a few hours." I responded, lighting my hand on fire. The nomads all gasped in shock. _Oh right, we didn't tell them_.

"You're a fire bender?" Chong questioned. Moku snapped in realization.

"Oh yeah! I heard about the fire bender gal that's been goin against the fire nation." He announced. These rumors about me have been spreading fast. Katara stepped in front of me, her hands on her hips.

"Do any of you have a problem with my sister?" She questioned with a glare. Well, after all the times I've been attacked and imprisoned I can't say her paranoia is unfounded. Chong just waved her off.

"Hey, we're all people here. No problems." He reassured with a smile. I actually believed him, they didn't seem like the type to hate someone based on their nationality. Smiling in satisfaction Katara backed off while Sokka and Aang relaxed. Focusing on the task at hand again, Sokka ran over to Appa and pulled out paper.

"I'm gonna make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through." He explained and walked ahead to lead us through the labyrinth. I looked around at the tunnel. For some reason I felt like it just wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

"Sokka, this is the tenth dead end that you've led us to." Katara stated as he turned his map all different directions. We had been wandering in here for what felt like forever and I felt like we were just getting more lost.

"This doesn't make sense, we've already been this way!" He protested, scanning his map.

"We don't need a map, we just need love. The little guy knows it." Chong stated as he pointed over at Aang. I continued to pet Appa's head to keep him from freaking out as Aang shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a map also." He replied. I looked over at Sokka with my head cocked to the side. It wasn't like him to read a map wrong. He was our 'map guy'. I stroked Appa's head one more time before walking over to Sokka and looking over his shoulder. Immediately my brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm not even gonna try and help. I can't read your chicken scratch map." I simply stated as I gave up on looking at the map. He glared at me.

"Don't blame my handwriting for the fact that you can't read a map." He countered. Katara nodded off to the side.

"It is true, Kai. You're not very good with directions." She added with a small smirk. I huffed at that. Honestly, you get lost a _few_ times and suddenly it's like everybody judges you. Sokka looked back at his map as he walked over to one of the walls.

"There's something strange here…" He muttered. Suddenly he sighed and rolled up his make-shift map and turned to face us. Uh oh, I had a feeling that I wasn't going to like this.

"There's only one explanation. The tunnels are _changing_." Just as he said it the mountain shook to prove his point and we all stared at him in horror and shock. _Changing?!_ We've seen a lot of crazy things during this whole adventure, but a mountain that changes on its own? I swear the universe hates us. Chong gripped his head with his hands as he looked around in panic.

"The mountain, it's changing! It must be the curse! Oh, I knew we shouldn't have come in here!" He wailed. I promptly smacked the back of his head.

"Get it together man! And _you_ were the one to suggest this in the first place…" I mumbled in irritation. I'm never following a bunch of hippies anywhere ever again.

"Right, If only we had listened to you…" I heard Sokka mutter sarcastically. I just sighed and was about to continue forward when Katara's hand on my sleeve stopped me.

"Wait, do you guys hear that?" She questioned nervously. We all paused and waited with baited breaths as we listened. I suddenly heard a quiet screech in the tunnel a head of us. Momo apparently heard the same thing and flew off of Sokka's shoulder in a panic. I stumbled a little as he flew into my arms before recovering and stroking his head to calm him down.

We all stared at the darkness in front of us for what felt like forever before suddenly a fanged face popped out and flew straight at us. Sokka screeched and dove to the side as the thing flew by his head.

"It's a giant flying thing with teeth!" Chong shouted out oh so helpfully. I shot my fist forward, shooting a fire ball at the creature as it lunged at me before rolling away.

"Oh really?! Thanks, I didn't notice!" I shouted back with a glare. The thing landed on the ground in front of us, growling as we got a closer look.

"It's a wolf-bat!" Moku cried out in realization. Huh, that makes sense. The thing had an almost dog like appearance with leathery wings sticking out of its sides. The wolf-bat jumped up into the air and lunged at Katara and Aang, but Sokka ran over and began swinging his torch at it. The beast growled before swiping the torch out of his hand and sending it flying over to…uh oh.

Appa roared in fright as the torch landed right in front of his foot. He started to run around crazily, crashing into the walls and shaking the whole cavern.

"Appa, stop!" I shouted futilely as I saw cracks start to run up to the roof of the cave. Rocks began to fall on us as the ceiling shook menacingly. I ran over to the bison and grabbed his reigns, pulling tight as he began to slow down. But, the damage was already done.

I looked back at the others in horror as I realized that the ceiling was about to fall. I raised my arms above my head in a last ditch effort to protect myself as the ceiling collapsed and we were all crushed…just kidding.

A blast of wind knocked me backwards as it slammed into my gut. I let out a grunt as my back hit a wall.

"Ugh, thanks I guess Aang." I muttered as I opened my eyes, rubbing the back of my head. In front of me was a giant wall of rock that completely closed me off. I looked to my sides and saw Appa, a single torch, Aang and Katara. **(A/N: I couldn't resist third-wheeling Kai XD)**

I quickly ran over to the two of them and checked to make sure they were okay.

"Aang? Katara? You guys alright?" I questioned in concern as I saw their eyes opening. Aang groaned before slowly getting up as I gently helped Katara sit up. Appa was clawing at the wall of rock in front of us, groaning and whimpering anxiously.

And I could've sworn that I heard Sokka scream in horror.

* * *

After recovering we all quickly set out further down the tunnel to see if we could find our way out and meet up with the others. Katara lead the way, holding the torch that was probably running out of fuel. Aang and I were behind her, trying to soothe Appa so he didn't cause more cave collapses.

"Guys, look!" Katara suddenly shouted, drawing our attention to the front. At the end of the tunnel there was some sort of circular stone doorway that was blocked off. Aang and I smiled excitedly at each other before running forward to catch up with my sister.

"We found the exit!" Aang cheered in excitement. I quickly ran to the doorway and pushed as hard as I could, but it didn't budge an inch. Even with Katara and Aang helping we got nowhere. Just as we were giving up on opening the doorway, a noise caught my attention.

I looked behind me and my eyes widened. There behind us, was Appa pawing the ground and preparing to charge like a bull. And, it didn't look like he noticed or cared that we were in his way.

"Look out!" I yelled before tackling Katara off to the side just as the raging bison crashed into the doorway. I winced as his head made contact. I bet he'll feel _that_ in the morning. It probably doesn't compare to a spirit induced headache, but eh.

I watched as the stone blocking the doorway collapsed inwards and fell out of our way, leaving the path open. All of us walked through the door, only to arrive in a large chamber with statues and two stone coffins lying in front of us. _Oh…_

"This isn't an exit…" Katara muttered.

"It's a tomb." Aang finished, both of them sounding quite spooked. I crossed my arms, frowning at the tomb we were in. Great, we were in a _tomb_.

"That's not a good omen…Well, Aang since you're a gentlemen, Katara and I should get the coffins."

"Okay, but you should help me at least dig some sort of hole for myself first."

"Sure thing." Katara just looked at the two of us in exasperation.

"You guys aren't helping at all…"

* * *

I examined the room we were in as we walked down the stairs in front of us that lead straight to the coffins. I must say, it was a pretty impressing tomb.

"It must be the two lovers, that's whose buried here." Aang said in realization. Meanwhile, Katara walked over to a part of the wall that had images on it as well as some writing on the bottom.

"These pictures must tell their story. They met on top of the mountain that separated their villages. Their villages were enemies, so they could not be together. But, their love was strong and they found a way. The two learned earth bending from the badger moles, they became the first earth benders. They built elaborate tunnels so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth.

But, one day the man didn't come. He had died in the war between their villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earth bending power. She could've destroyed them all. But, instead she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they lived in peace. The woman's name was Oma, and the man's name was Shu. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love." Katara finished the story, sounding almost in awe.

She always did like a good love story. Glancing behind us, we all turned and looked at what I guessed was a statue of Oma and Shu kissing. In between them there was some writing.

"Love is brightest in the dark…" I murmured, reading the passage in thought. _In the dark, huh…_ Just as I was musing about ideas, Aang's voice interrupted me.

"How are we going to get out of these caves?" He wondered aloud. I opened my mouth to speak, but again I was cut off. This time by Katara.

"I…have a crazy idea." She offered, almost shyly. Aang and I glanced at each other before turning to Katara. I kinda wanted to hear her idea first.

"What?" Aang questioned in curiosity, but she merely turned away and faced the opposite wall. I could've sworn there was a blush on her face. Something told me I might get some interesting blackmail material soon…

"Never mind, it's too crazy…" She muttered again. I shrugged as I leaned against the wall.

"Well, either we try whatever we can or we end up staying with Oma and Shu here." I stated simply, pointing over at the two coffins. Katara sighed before slowly turning around.

"I was thinking, the curse says we'll be trapped forever if we don't trust in love. And, here the passage says that love is brightest in the dark and has a picture of them…kissing." She trailed off slowly. My eyes widened as I realized the implications. I desperately tried to hold off the smirk on my face. _Aang, looks like your wish might come true…oh gosh, but I'm still in the same room! This is so weird._

"Katara, where are you going with this?" Aang, the ever innocent, questioned with his head cocked to the side. Katara's face flamed as she faced Aang, and I slowly stepped backwards.

"Well, what if we…kissed?" She offered, her hands fidgeting with her shirt. I resisted the urge to throw myself atop of Appa and flee the scene.

"Us kissing?!" Aang gaped in shock. He repeated the sentence as Katara continued about how it was a stupid idea. This time, he had a dreamy look on his face.

"-I mean, can you imagine us kissing?" Katara giggled at the hilarity of the thought while Aang finally snapped out of fantasy mode.

"Hah, yeah! I definitely wouldn't want to kiss you." He stated with a smile, before his face froze in horror at his words. Meanwhile I was banging my head on the walls. Being stuck in the labyrinth sounded preferable to this awkwardness…

Katara's face immediately shifted into an insulted frown as she looked away from him.

"Well, I'm sorry for suggesting it. I didn't know it would be such a _horrible_ option for you." She huffed. Aang began to panic as he walked closer to her.

"No no, I didn't mean it like that! If the choice was between kissing you and dying…" He trailed off, as I tried harder to give myself a concussion. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible to be _this_ bad with women. And I lived with Sokka all my life.

"Ugh!" Katara was definitely feeling the insult now. Aang clenched his fists together as he tried one more time.

"What? I'm saying I'd rather kiss you than die! That's a complement!" He insisted as Katara merely shoved the torch in his hands and stalked away.

"Well I'm not sure which I'd rather do!" She called over her shoulder angrily. Aang wilted, looking at the floor sadly.

"What is wrong with me…" He muttered in a depressed state. I walked over to him and watched as he looked up at me with wide eyes, seemingly just remembering that I was there. I merely gave him a look before shrugging.

"I'm not kissing you." I stated simply before going to walk after my sister, but not before he sent a question my way.

"Uh, what happened to your forehead? It's bleeding."

"Oh, you know. It was just such a great atmosphere to be in I couldn't stop myself."

* * *

"I'm guessing by now you've come up with the answer to your predicament?" Vayu questioned in my mind as I walked slowly behind Aang and Katara.

" _Yeah…but I think I'll wait just a bit longer until telling Katara and Aang. The torch is about to go out soon anyways."_

" **You just want to mess with them, don't you."**

" _I thought that was implied."_

"I just want to say that I do not approve…but go ahead."

My mental conversation was interrupted as Aang held up the dying torch.

"Our light is about to go out any second." He muttered quietly before turning to me.

"Kai, you'll be able to give us light for a while, right?" I nodded in response, lighting a small ball of fire in my hand that instantly added to the light in the caves. But, I shrugged.

"Even with light that doesn't help if we can't find a way out." I stated simply. Katara sighed from in front of us.

"She's right. We'd just end up wandering endlessly for longer…" She said in a defeated tone. Aang looked between us with a sad face.

"What are we gonna do?" He questioned quietly. Katara stopped walking, before turning around and coming closer to him.

"What can we do?" She returned. I looked between them, suddenly feeling very awkward (especially since I was sorta standing between them), before I stepped backwards and pushed the two closer together.

"Yup. Katara's idea, Aang's the guy, so…have at it! I'll just, go over there…and try not to scratch my eyes out." I muttered the last part under my breath as the two sent me very awkward looks before facing each other again. I faced the wall, but still had my head turned to where I could see how much light the torch had left.

Just as the torch was about to die (and Aang's face was getting _really_ close to Katara's), I discreetly snuffed out my own flame so that we would be bathed in darkness. Almost three seconds after snuffing out my flame, the cave lit up.

Looking up we saw crystal like stones in the ceiling of the cave and the crystals formed some sort of path.

"They must be made out of some sort of crystal that lights up in the dark!" Aang stated in realization. Both of them were, thankfully, separated again.

"That's how Oma and Shu found each other in the caves! They just turned out their lights and followed the crystals. That must be the way out!" Katara announced, pointing further down the path with the crystals. You know, I feel like a lot of people probably figured this out. I mean there's no way nobody ever ended up losing light in these caves.

Aang shuffled his feet as he looked up at Katara with a blush.

"Um… so about the-."

"C'mon, let's go!" Katara shouted over her shoulder as she ran forward. I walked over to Aang and patted his shoulder before grabbing his wrist and pulling him forward.

"Come on lover boy, let's blow this giant tomb." I said with a grin. He shook off his daze before smiling back and running with me. I just hoped Sokka and the hippies would make it out okay. They had a lot more torches than us.

* * *

As soon as we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, Appa broke out into a run and raced out. He grunted happily as soon as he left the cave and stood on his hind legs before flopping onto his back. Katara, Aang and I followed soon after.

"What about Sokka?" Aang questioned in concern. No sooner than he asked that question, the mountain behind us shook and we turned to watch Sokka and the hippies escape the mountain riding…badger moles? Huh, what a weird day.

"Sokka!" Katara and I quickly ran over to our brother as he slid down from the badger mole with a smile.

"How did you guys get out?" He asked with a smile as Aang walked up next to us.

"It's just like the legend said, we let love lead the way." Aang offered with a shy grin. I punched his arm lightly with a roll of my eyes.

"No we didn't, we let glowy crystals in the ceiling lead the way." I corrected. Sokka seemed unfazed.

"Really? We let large, ferocious beasts lead our way." He said before waving at said beasts as the retreated back into the mountainside. Katara hugged Sokka before I patted his head like a child.

"Glad to see you didn't get lost forever in that tomb." I stated with a smile. He smirked at me before forcefully pulling me into a hug.

"Aw, look Katara! Our sister cares about me!" He cooed as I suffocated in his shirt. Katara giggled at my pain as I swung my arms viciously, trying to escape. Finally, I just lit my hand on fire and watched in satisfaction as Sokka retreated from me. I was just about to leap at him and show him whose boss when Katara cut in.

"Hey, why is your forehead all red?" She questioned, making me examine it as well. Huh, there was some sort of circular, red imprint on Sokka's face. Just as we were looking at it, Chong walked up to us with wide eyes.

"Okay, nobody react to what I'm about to tell you, but I think that kid's the Avatar!" He whispered next to us in awe. Sokka suddenly smacked his forehead with his hand, leaving an even larger red mark. Oh, I get it. Then he seemed to examine my forehead.

"And why do you have cuts on your forehead? Almost looks like you bashed your head into a wall a few times…" He muttered in thought. I pointed over at Aang and Katara who had begun talking with each other again.

"I was stuck with Mr. I-Say-Everything-The-Wrong-Way and Ms. I-Take-Everything-The-Wrong-Way." I stated as an explanation. From the confused look on his face I guessed that he didn't understand me. I simply patted his shoulder before walking over to Aang and Katara. As I arrived Katara looked over at me with a questioning look.

"Hey Kai, why'd you turn your fire off when the torch went off? I mean, it turned out for the best, but I was just wondering." She asked with a shrug. Aang sent me a similar look saying that he had the same question. I smirked, clasping my hands behind my back.

"Well, I had figured out the riddle like 10 seconds after reading it. It was pretty simple after all." I explained with a shrug. The two of them froze for what seemed like forever before Katara suddenly broke.

"What?! You knew that whole time?! Why didn't you say anything?!" She questioned angrily.

"I tried to, but you guys kept cutting me off. And, after hearing your idea I figured it might be a good time to build up some interesting blackmail. I have tons against Sokka, but nothing really against you." I stated smugly. The look on Aang's face was a mixture between being extremely grateful, and extremely awkward.

The look on Katara's face was just plain annoyance.

Leaping out of the way of Katara's strangle attempt with a laugh, I quickly ran ahead before shouting behind me.

"C'mon love birds! Omashu's awaitin'!" I laughed happily.

Completely ignoring the furious yells of Katara, the confused ones of Sokka, and the quiet thank-you's of Aang. _Ahh, young love._

" **So…when are you gonna hook up Kai?"**

" _Shut up."_

* * *

 **And that's a wrap on chapter 21! I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Again, keep an eye out for the official name of Kai's dragon in the next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Return To Omashu**


	22. Chapter 22: Return To Omashu

**Chapter 22: Return to Omashu**

 **Hey guys! I managed to write up two chapters this time! I felt bad for such a long absence. I'm going to try to get back to regularly posting on Sundays, but school is starting soon and I have summer homework, so I hope you can forgive me if I take a little bit of time to update. Anyways, let's get on with the chapter! –Cleo**

 **BTW: I realized that if I wanted to respond to all reviews via pm I wouldn't be able to respond to guests and those without profiles. So I'll just leave it how it was.  
**

* * *

 _ **Review Responses: From Ch. 20**_

 **Momochan77: I'm glad you liked the bonding! I have a sister in real life too, so it's interesting to write that interaction. And about Kai's love life, a couple people have also mentioned it but I'm still not sure. For one thing I want to keep this story focused on the actual plot rather than romance, and also Kai's 12 so she still has time to find the one for her. And so sorry for the lag in updates! I hope you like the chapter!**

 **Purplechic13: I'm glad you liked the little sisterly bonding too! It was pretty fun to write. Thanks for supporting my decision to pair Kai and Aang. I knew a couple people were hoping that's where I would go with things. I hope Kai will continue being just as, if not more, awesome for you in the future! If you really want it, ask for it in a review and I'll try to do my best!**

 **DylanHunter: I'm not admitting anything ;) but I'm pretty sure that anyone who saw the show knows who her dad is by now. Thanks for the review!**

 **Guest #1: Right now, and sorry for the huge delay! Like I said earlier, it's been difficult to find the motivation, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **AvatarLover: Thanks, and I totally get what you're talking about with the sadness thing. To explain Kai's reaction, she wasn't really berating him for being sad she just doesn't like that he's doing it out of self-doubt and fear. She has a very straightforward way of dealing with things and can be a bit insensitive at times, plus she was woken up. I would be a little grumpy too ^_^**

 **ShugoYuuki: I'm glad you like the story! Yes it's being continued, and I swear that I will finish it! Summer is coming up so I'll have a lot more time to write after finals. Anyways, hope you like this chapter!**

 **Tkb0: That's actually one of the reasons I originally wrote this. Almost all the A:TLA fanfics I found were an OCxZuko story. It frustrated me that there wasn't more variety. I'm glad that someone else felt the same and that you like this story! I hope you continue to like it. I will show different sides of Kai as time goes on, so keep your eyes open!**

 **Guest #2: I'm glad you like this story! I'm so sorry for the delay in updates and I promise the next one won't take nearly as long. I hope you like this chapter!  
**

* * *

I sighed as I lay down in Appa's saddle. After leaving, what I dubbed the cave of death, we started heading to Omashu to get Aang an earth bending master in Bumi. I kinda missed that crazy guy. He definitely kept things interesting. I turned towards Sokka who was steering.

"I blame you for all that, by the way." I stated simply. He turned towards me with wide eyes.

"Me?! What'd I do?!" He questioned with a huff. I rolled my eyes.

"You were all like, 'what's the worst that can happen?' and jinxed us! The universe hates you Sokka, remember that." I explained, sticking my tongue out at him. It was true. He always ended up jinxing us. Sokka opened his mouth to retort, but Katara beat him to it.

"Actually, she's not wrong Sokka." She agreed with a smirk. Sokka huffed and turned away from us, ignoring our accusations. Aang laughed into his hand as Katara and I bumped fists behind his back.

"Well, whatever! I said before that the trip to Omashu would be fine! Despite the little hiccup in the mountains, nothing really bad has happened. So hah!" He announced proudly. Uh oh, he really shouldn't have said that. I immediately covered my head, expecting lighting to strike us down or something. Sokka stood up with a smirk as we began to fly around the last mountain on our way to Omashu.

"Now, I present to you the great city of O-…Oh no…" Sokka stopped as we all stared in horror. Omashu, a once proud and strong earth nation city was covered in metal structures with smoke pouring out of them. Hanging on the front of the main gates, was a giant fire nation flag. I punched Sokka in the arm, hard.

"I told you not to jinx us!"

"This isn't my fault!"

* * *

After seeing the city we quickly flew Appa down and landed on one of the ledges sticking out of the mountain. Aang immediately jumped down and the rest of us gave each other a look before following. Aang stared at the city with a frown on his face.

"I can't believe it. I know the war spread far, but Omashu always seemed…untouchable." He muttered in disbelief. I put my hand on his shoulder as Sokka nodded.

"Until now, it was. Now, Ba Sing Se is the only great earth kingdom stronghold left." He stated with a frown. I thought about it, he was right. The war has taken all the other strongholds in the earth kingdom now. Thinking about how much control the fire nation had was pretty scary. Nearly everyone alive today wouldn't be able to remember a time when there was no war.

Looking over at Aang I smiled sadly. He could remember. He could remember like it was yesterday. For the first time, I felt a little envious of Aang. But, that quickly faded as I remembered all the loss he had to endure once he woke up. Shaking my head, I tuned back into the conversation.

"This is horrible…" Aang whispered. Katara put her hand on Aang's other shoulder, a sympathetic look on her face.

"It is, but we need to move on." She said gently, pulling lightly on his shoulder. I frowned.

"We can't just leave without trying to do anything. We could at least try to help the people." I insisted. There were probably hundreds of captured Omashu citizens sitting in the dungeons and just stuck in the slums. Aang nodded in agreement.

"She's right, and I'm going to find Bumi." He said in determination, walking forward.

"Aang, stop. We don't even know if Bumi's still…if he's still…" Sokka paused in his statement.

Aang tensed and looked like he was about to snap, but I just grabbed his arm and shook my head. It was a possibility, after all.

"Aang, I know you had your heart set on Bumi. But, there are other people who can teach you earth bending." Katara insisted. Aang turned back towards the city. The look on his face told me there was no talking him out of this, not that I would try to.

"This isn't about finding a teacher, it's about finding my friend." He stated with finality. I smiled. _Well, looks like we know what we're going to do now._

"Be cautious Kai. It wouldn't be good if your group was caught by the fire nation at this time." Vayu warned.

" **Kick some major butt!"** Agni cheered in the background. I sighed, but suddenly a roar in my head made me jump.

" _The hell?! Is the dragon in my head now too?!"_ I questioned in disbelief.

" **Oops, sorry Kai! That was my bad! I accidently let the dragon into our link! While we're on the subject though, your dragon spirit really wants a name. She's getting annoyed by always being called 'the dragon' or 'spirit express'."** Agni stated. I slapped my forehead.

" _I've kinda got more important things going on right now! I promise I'll name her later, okay? Now just give me some peace and quiet for a while!"_ I could hear their farewells before the pressure in my head went away. Sighing in relief, I looked up at the others who were all staring at me like I'd grown another head.

"What?" I questioned.

"Were you talking to the spirits just then? You suddenly slapped your head for no reason." Katara explained. Oops, I probably looked like a crazy person.

"Oh, yeah sorry 'bout that! Anyways, let's get a move one. We've got a crazy king to save and refugees to liberate."

* * *

"A secret passage? Why didn't we just use this way last time?!" Sokka questioned as we stood in front of a large pipe entryway. Katara, Sokka, and I were all putting on cloaks while Aang pried the block in front of the pipe off. Immediately we all jumped back as sludge and sewage poured out. Oh gross…

"Does that answer your question?" Aang asked smugly. Honestly, he looked a little too happy to be going into the sewage. Aang jumped in first with Katara behind him, me behind her, and Sokka at the end. Aang air bended a ball in front of him that blew the sludge around him and Katara held me next to her as she used her other arm to bend the liquid around us.

Probably for the best that I didn't bend in here. I doubted that burnt sewage would be any better than the regular kind. I heard a bunch of garbled sounds from Sokka as he basically drowned. I hoped he was okay…

Finally we reached the end as Aang blew air up at a vent above us. He climbed out first before Katara and I followed.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." She stated as she shook her feet a little. I nodded in agreement before a giant mass of moving sludge caught my attention. Oh look, Sokka caught up. Katara quickly blasted him with water before Aang dried him off with air. I smirked as I saw the little pink creatures attached to Sokka's face. He made some friends.

"AH!" Sokka immediately began freaking out and trying to pry the things off his face, but those little suckers were strong. Aang tackled my brother into the wall to shut him up.

"Sh! Stop making so much noise. It's just a purple pentapus." Aang explained before stroking the head of one. Instantly it made a happy noise and released its grip on Sokka. They left behind little red marks all over his face. Suddenly a voice rang out.

"Hey! You there!" We all tensed as a couple fire nation soldiers approached us. Aang quickly covered the arrow on his head with some weird, turban like hat. I stared at him.

"What? Where did that even come from?" I questioned. He just smiled at me before turning back to the soldiers.

"What are you kids doing out here past curfew?" The man in front asked. Oh gross, the people here have curfew now. I never listened to that rule.

"Sorry sir, we were just heading back." Katara explained before pushing us in the opposite direction. We began walking away, but then the man stopped us again.

"Hey, what's wrong with your friend?" He asked as he pointed at Sokka.

"A lot of things." I whispered to Aang. He chuckled into his hand as Sokka sent us a glare.

"Uh…he's sick! It's pentapox." Katara stated nervously. The solider frowned in suspicion and got closer.

"It's very contagious!" She added. The soldier stopped his approach and looked at us. Sokka suddenly began groaning and holding his hands out like a zombie.

"Ugh, it's so awful! I'm dying!" He moaned as he wobbled towards the soldiers. Wow, that acting though. The men immediately began backing up in alarm.

"Didn't your cousin Chang die of pentapox?"

"We'd better go wash our hands!"

"And, burn our clothes!" They all ran away quickly as Sokka started coughing at them. After they were gone he immediately stopped. Aang picked up one of the purple creatures and stroked its head.

"Thank you sewer friend." Aang said happily. I grabbed one and stuck it smack dab in the middle of Sokka's face. Katara raised an eyebrow at me as I shrugged.

"It would look less suspicious if the dots were covering his whole face?" I offered. Katara merely sighed and went to help our suffocating brother.

* * *

We ran further into the city. There were metal scaffoldings everywhere as we ducked behind some metal boxes. A couple soldiers walked past as we hid.

"Let's just find Bumi and get out of here." Katara whispered. I frowned.

"Shouldn't we do something for the people here?" I questioned. Sokka shook his head.

"We don't even know if the fire nation is still keeping the people here or if they've all been kicked out. The best thing to do right now is see if Bumi's here. Where would they keep him?" He questioned, turning to Aang.

"Somewhere he can't earth bend. Somewhere metal." He stated. I looked around at all the metal structures and materials.

"Well, that narrows it down…" I muttered with a sigh. You know, I've always been a little curious about earth bending. Shouldn't earth benders be able to bend metal? Sure, it's not straight up rock and dirt. But, metal is another form of earth, a more purified version. Ice is another form of water and water benders could bend that. I mentally give major props to whomever figures out how to do that.

We continued walking forward until a rumbling sound caught our attention. Looking up the ramps in front of us that were metal versions of the mail chutes, I saw a boulder sliding down. At the bottom of the ramp was an approaching group of fire nation people. Aang instantly jumped forward and swept his staff out, destroying the rock and causing dust to fly everywhere.

"Uh oh, they see us!" I exclaimed as the lady pointed up at us. A girl, who looked a little older than Katara, stepped forward with a smirk and flung her arms at us. I squeaked as arrows flew out of her sleeves and shot at us. I ducked last minute as the arrows struck above my head.

"How is that even possible?!" I questioned. I didn't know people could shoot weapons from their sleeves! We immediately began running away from the crazy girl. Katara water bended a couple of the soldiers out of our way before Aang slammed his staff it a bunch of metal shelves. They collapsed behind us, blocking the girl's way. She flung a knife at Aang who managed to catch the thing on his staff before she sent another volley of arrows at us.

"How many of those things do you have?!" I shouted out. The girl didn't answer me as we prepared to block the arrows. Suddenly, I gasped as the floor was literally pulled out beneath us and we were taken downwards. I grunted as I landed on the ground roughly. Rubbing the back of my head I slowly sat up and saw the others in the same state. Feet approached us and I looked up at the earth nation men in front of me.

"Sokka! I found the refugees!"

* * *

The men took us to the giant cavern that was holding all the citizens of Omashu. Aang looked around in curiosity.

"So, is Bumi with you? Is he leading the resistance?" Aang questioned eagerly. Everyone immediately got quiet and I saw even a few looks of disdain.

"Of course not! The day the fire nation arrived we were prepared to fight with our lives for our city, and for our freedom. But, before we even had a chance, King Bumi…surrendered." The man in front of us stated. He glared at the ground as Aang frowned in disbelief.

"The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what his orders were. He looked me in the eye and said, nothing." The man explained. I thought about it, it did seem like something the man would say, but why would he surrender without a fight? Sometimes I wonder how this guy was even _made_ king in the first place. But, if there was anything I'd learned from before, it was that Bumi always does things for a reason.

"It doesn't matter now, we have to fight for our freedom. And freedom is worth dying for." The man insisted. I looked at him.

"If you're dead, are you free then? You guys are outnumbered and most of the people here aren't fighters, they're civilians." I stated, pointing down at the people. Many were frail and had the look of the poor shopkeeper rather than a hardcore soldier. Trying to fight the fire nation soldiers head on would lead most of these people to their deaths. And I personally wasn't in favor of that.

"Kai's right, there's another path to freedom. You could leave the city and survive to fight another day!" Aang offered. I nodded. It was a good idea. The man looked like he was about to argue, but he looked around. The people were all murmuring and they seemed to like the idea. I supposed they weren't really keen on dying either. The man looked down with a sigh.

"Fine, but there's thousands of citizens that need to be evacuated. How are we all going to leave the city?" He questioned. Sokka snapped his fingers.

"Suckers!" After we all stared at him like he'd finally lost it, he started to explain.

"You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox." He stated. I stared at him before smiling.

"This is the one and only time I'm gonna say this, but that's a really good idea."

"Oh, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"Don't push it."

* * *

We grabbed buckets full of pentapi and began sticking them on each other. People were getting spots all over themselves. Sokka stood at the front and looked around.

"Okay, now you look sick. But, you have to act it too." Suddenly an elderly man hobbled by, moaning and groaning in pain. Sokka stared at him before smiling in approval.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" He announced. The man smiled at him before tapping his wooden peg leg.

"Years of practice!" He insisted. As the people began to leave, Katara and I turned and saw Aang leaving.

"Aang, where are you going?" Katara questioned.

"I'm going to find Bumi. I'll meet up with you guys later." He said before running down the alleyway. I stepped forward, intent on coming with him, but Katara grabbed my arm.

"I think he needs to be alone for a little, Kai. It'll be easier for him to look around secretly on his own. C'mon, let's go join the others." Katara said with a smile before walking away. I looked in the direction Aang had gone in before turning to follow her. He'll be okay, I know it.

* * *

Everyone wandered into the city wobbling and acting really sick. The soldiers all started to panic.

"Plague!" I heard one man yell. Wow, I can't believe this is working! Everyone was really getting into this, I even saw one guy pretend to collapse onto the ground. Now that's commitment. The front gates opened as soldiers began surrounding us, trying to flush the sickness out. We all managed to safely exit the city. Immediately as the gates closed behind us I smiled as everyone cheered happily. They were free and everyone was alive.

We traveled down into the valleys and set up camp as the night set. I was currently lying on Katara's lap as Sokka sat next to us. We were all eagerly awaiting news from Aang. I sat up quickly as I saw him approaching with Flopsy. Running over I hugged him.

"How'd it go?" I questioned with a frown. But, I knew the answer. He didn't have Bumi with him.

"We looked everywhere…no Bumi." He mumbled, downcast. Katara pulled him into another hug as Sokka hugged a depressed Flopsy. I pet the creature's nose as one of the resistance men walked up to us.

"We have a problem, we just did a headcount." He sighed. Katara immediately looked over in concern as she let go of Aang.

"Oh no, did someone get left behind?" She questioned. He shook his head.

"No, we have an extra." He pointed over at a small baby who was currently hugging the life out of Momo. I sighed.

"Uh oh, we're kidnappers now."

* * *

We all sat around the fire as we looked at the little, fire nation baby. The infant crawled over to Sokka's weapon and stuck the tip in his mouth. Immediately it was grabbed away from him and Sokka frowned.

"No, bad fire nation baby!" He exclaimed. The baby started crying and Katara smacked Sokka upside the head. I reached into one of our bags and pulled out a rubber ball. I usually used it to play with Momo. I gave that to the baby instead. Probably safer than handing him a weapon. The baby brightened up and happily threw the ball up and down while giggling. Katara cooed and bent down to hug him.

"Aw, you're so adorable!" she squealed, kissing him on the forehead. I forgot how much Katara loved babies. She did help deliver quite a few of them back home. I shivered at the thought. Yeah, I was never doing that again.

"Just wait, when he grows up he'll join the fire nation army. He won't be so cute then. He'll be a killer." The resistance man said with a frown. Yeesh, paranoid much? Katara held up the baby.

"Does this look like the face of a killer to you?" She questioned as the baby began drooling. The man's face stayed unchanged. I rolled my eyes.

"Not everyone in the fire nation is going to turn into some power hungry killer. There's good and bad in every nation." I insisted.

 _Guys like this are going to make my job very hard after the war..._ I mused with a sigh, thinking about Agni and Vayu's whole 'peace between people' spiel. Suddenly the sound of a bird squawking caught our attention. Looking to the side we saw a fire nation hawk.

"It's a messenger hawk!" The resistance man exclaimed. Aang ran over and pulled the message from the pouched and opened it up.

"It's from the governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son. He wants to make a trade, his son for…King Bumi." Aang gasped. I frowned at that. Well, we kinda did kidnap the baby. If this guy was a good dad it would make sense that he wanted his son back enough to hand Bumi over.

Looks like we're doing this trade.

* * *

In the morning we all headed out for Omashu once again. We flew to the top of the city where the trade was supposed to take place and waited on a large platform. At the other end of the platform I could see three girls heading our way. Okay…that wasn't what I was expecting.

The girl in front I recognized as the arrow girl from before, she also had very recognizable buns on her head. The girl on the left looked like some sort of acrobat with her cropped top and loose pants. The girl on the right had a sinister smirk on her face and her top knot was held up by some sort of fire nation hair band. I really didn't trust that girl. And geez, she has some scary looking fingernails. Despite the way they were arranged, I could tell that the scary girl was really in charge. Or, at the very least liked to think she was.

" **Be extremely careful of her Kai. She is one of the most dangerous fire benders you'll encounter. Her fire is special in a way similar to yours."**

" _What do you mean Agni?"_

" **You'll see, just keep your guard up."** Nodding silently in response, I shifted my feet slightly. If Agni was taking this girl seriously, I knew that I had to. I watched them all with a wary eye, especially the one with the top knot.

"Do you have my brother?" The girl in front asked. Oh, so she was the baby's sister. Aang stepped forward.

"Yes, we're ready to trade." He announced. A metal coffin-like container was lowered from above as they spoke. Bumi's face was sticking out of one side. Well, I guess that's one way to trap an earth bender. Suddenly the mean looking girl on the right turned towards the one in the middle that looked depressed.

"I'm sorry, but something just occurred to me. May I?" She questioned.

"Of course, Princess Azula." What? This girl was a princess? That meant…she was Zuko's sister?! Oh wow. Now I understood Agni's call for caution. Any fire bender in the royal family was going to be tricky. And, Azula looked a tad bit more menacing than Zuko in my opinion. But maybe that's just a girl thing.

"We're trading a baby for a powerful, earth bending king. It just, doesn't seem fair. Don't you think?" Azula asked with an 'innocent' look on her face. The girl in the middle seemed to think about it before nodding and stepping forward.

"The deal's off!" She announced and made a hand motion. Guess who's not getting the best sister award. Bumi immediately began laughing as his metal coffin was taken back up again. Aang looked up in alarm.

"Bumi!" He leapt forward, but was stopped by a wave of blue fire. I stared at the princess. Well, now I know what Agni was talking about. An involuntary smirk worked its way onto my face. Blue fire vs. White fire, what an interesting battle ahead.

Aang quickly jumped over the fire and bounded off of the structures next to him. He unfolded his glider in midair, but as he flew the cloth wrapped around his head came loose, exposing his tattoo. There goes the secrecy. In all honesty she probably would've figured it out after seeing the air bending anyways.

"The Avatar? My lucky day." With a smirk, the princess ran over and cut one of the ropes connected to a pulley. She hit a lever and immediately the rope was pulled upwards, carrying her as well. I glanced over at Katara and Sokka before running over towards the ropes.

"You guys get out of here as fast as possible! I'll keep Ms. Blue over there off of Aang while he gets Bumi out!" I shouted over my shoulder, vaguely hearing their responses. I quickly grabbed one of the ropes and followed Azula's example, being carried upwards. From the corner of my eye I could see Aang blowing onto the chain holding up Bumi's metal coffin, freezing it.

Looking up, I saw that Azula was barely a head of me. Just as she was about to break through the top I shot a burst of fire out of my feet, propelling myself at her. I tackled into her with a grunt and together we broke through the wooden ceiling above. Immediately after breaking through I jumped away from her. Just in the nick of time too as the princess spun around, surrounding herself with blue flames.

We both landed on the wooden floor and stared each other down. I could hear Aang as he cut the chain and went into the mail chute with Bumi as the means of transportation. Azula made to leap after them, but I quickly blasted a stream of fire directly at her, forcing her to redirect her attention to disperse it. She looked at me with narrowed eyes in realization.

"Ah, so it _is_ true. There's a fire bender traveling around with the Avatar. Honestly, I had my doubts that one of the fire nation would ever dare to turn their back on their nation. But, here you are…and with fancy _white_ fire to boot." She stated casually as we circled each other. I sent her a smirk.

"Hate to break it to you princess, but I was never part of your nation in the first place." Lifting my arms I clenched them tightly and watched as the white fire daggers formed in my hands. I made a 'come at me motion' with my right hand and was not disappointed.

With a shout of fury, Azula jumped into the air and spun her leg around, shooting an arc of fire at me. Running forward, I dove on my knees. Leaning my head back, I felt the heat as the flames passed above. The heat nearly scorched my face before I was able to stand straight up again. I leaped at the girl with my daggers and swung my arms out, lashing them at her. Nimbly dodging and weaving, Azula managed to evade all my attacks with hardly a scorch on her. I had to give it to her, she was pretty good. And, I knew that I couldn't beat her at my level.

Wincing as some of her flames nicked my arm, I quickly rolled to the side before swinging my leg out encased in white flames. Azula seemed to effortlessly disperse it and retaliate. No offense to Zuko…(okay, maybe a little offense to Zuko) I would bet on his sister in a fight. Too bad that fight had to be against me right now.

Suddenly, I saw sparks jump off of her fingertips making me stiffen in alarm. No way, she could bend lightening? Seeing the smirk on her face I knew I couldn't risk it. I quickly jumped backwards, preparing to dive out of the way. But, Azula merely cut off the sparks and jumped off the side of the structure we were on, diving down. Cursing under my breath, I quickly followed after her. _Dang it! She was just trying to get me out of the way!_

" **Hurry Kai! She's after Aang and Bumi!"**

"I believe she is aware of that fact Agni…"

" **You can never be too sure! She could've just been jumping to escape fighting against Kai's awesome skills!"**

"…You and I both know that's not true."

" **Hahaha! Yeah, I know. I just thought it would be fun to fantasize."**

" _Okay, first of all: Hurtful. Second of all: SHUT UP!"_

Shaking the annoyances out of my mind, I focused back on the task at hand. I bent my legs as I landed roughly in one of the carts and quickly shot jets of fire out of both my hands. The jets shot my cart forward as I hurried to catch up with Azula's cart. I could see bursts of dust and fire and assumed that Aang was fighting back.

I managed to catch up to them right as Azula did some sort of cartwheel within her cart, sending a wheel of blue fire at Aang and Bumi. Okay, neat trick. But, not so neat when she was trying to barbeque my friends. Just as I was about to try and intervene, a large rock randomly popped out of the ground right in front of Azula's, and consequently my own, cart.

"Crap!" I gasped, and quickly jumped backwards and out of the cart as it basically exploded. Shooting fire out of my feet I slowed myself down, just in time too as I came face to face with the rock. Sighing in relief I collapsed on the chute, but a grunt suddenly drew my attention. I looked to my side and saw the fingertips with those scary nails.

 _Azula!_ I quickly scrambled over and looked down at the princess who was gazing in the direction that Aang and Bumi had disappeared in. Cautiously, I slowly reached down my hand as her face snapped in my direction. _If looks could kill…_

"Um…do you need some help?" I questioned, mentally convincing myself that if she tried to burn my hand off I could block her flames. She merely stared at my hand, in what looked like annoyance, before swinging her arm up and blasting a stream of fire at me. I quickly leaned back and fell on my butt before jumping over the side of the chute and shakily landing on the roof next to us.

"Yeah, I thought you would do that…" I sighed, rubbing the back of my head as I saw her pull herself up. I quickly jumped onto another roof, making my escape before she tried to come after my head.

I had the feeling that we would be seeing each other again. That was not a happy feeling…

* * *

"So…we're looking for someone who waits, and who listens? Well, that narrows it down." I sighed sarcastically as Aang merely shrugged in response. He had just regaled us of his tale with Bumi, the king who could earth bend with his face. Leave it to Bumi to give such vague details. Speaking of Bumi…

"Um, what's going to happen to Bumi now? Doesn't the fire nation know he can earth bend still? How is he going to be able to break out later if they cover his face?" I questioned in curiosity. I mean, I feel like it would be hard to ignore someone earth bending in a metal coffin up a stone mail chute. Then again, people are weird like that.

"Hope they don't cover his face? I don't know…I think we can just leave that to Bumi." Aang offered with a 'what can you do' expression. I sighed. Only idiots would leave an earth bending king with the ability to earth bend. I sincerely hoped Bumi would have idiotic guards.

"So, what's the plan now?" Katara intervened, leaning forward from her spot next to Sokka and I in the saddle. Aang seemed to think about it for a second before pulling a map out of our bags and laying it out.

"Well, there are still a couple earth kingdom villages on our way from her to Ba Sing Se. I think we should make stops at those and check things out. We might find a teacher for me there. If not, then I'm almost positive Ba Sing Se will have one for me." He explained with a smile. Sokka nodded before pulling the map closer to himself and beginning to plan our route.

That's Sokka, our local map guy.

As he and Katara began debating what would be the safest and fastest route, I leaned closer to Aang.

"Are you sure you're okay leaving Bumi here?" I asked with a slight frown. He had been so adamant about getting the king out before. Examining his face, I looked for signs of regret or sadness to address. Thankfully, I found none as he smiled at me.

"Yeah, it was his choice and I respect that. I trust him and I know this isn't goodbye. I just hope we can find an earth bending teacher sooner rather than later." He stated, rubbing the back of his head. I smiled before bumping his shoulder lightly with mine.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll find the right person when it's time. My only hope is that they're not boring or something like that. Insulting Sokka can only entertain me for so long." I muttered the last part under my breath.

" **-elllooooooo?"**

" **Kai?"**

" **Kai?!"**

" **KAI?!"**

" **Vayu, I think she forgot about us! How cruel, our own daughter has betrayed us! After all the years we spent rearing her up in our ways, she has blasphemed against us! We should disown her and force her to live off the land, eating nothing but the fruits of her labor and the** _ **blood of her enemies!**_ **"**

"…There are just, way too many things wrong with that statement Agni."

" _Oh my god! I spaced out for one second and suddenly I'm your daughter who lives off the blood of her enemies?! What. The. Hell."_

" **Yay! I got her attention! Anyways, just wanted to check where you were on that whole naming process for your spirit dragon. She's very impatient."**

" _Yeah, she's not the only one apparently…"_ I sighed out loud, rubbing my temples. I swear, if someone ever comes up with medicine to get rid of spirit induced headaches I will marry them on the spot…Okay, maybe not _marry_ , but I would be very grateful.

Seeing my expression Aang lightly touched my shoulder.

"Um…are you okay Kai?" He questioned in concern. I huffed in irritation (not at him though) before relaying my little naming predicament. He hummed in understanding before grabbing his chin in thought.

"Well, I would just name her based on a certain characteristic. Take Momo for example. He's obsessed with peaches, and he even stole one from Sokka on that day at the air temple. Growing up, the monks taught us about this old language that was used in different parts of the world before a single language was introduced and used in all countries. You know, so that we could all speak easily to others. Anyways, Momo means 'peach' in the Ancient language." Aang explained.

 **(Japanese is the language I'm using for the Ancient language, and Momo really does mean peach in Japanese for those of you that didn't know)**

Wow, I didn't know Aang knew the Ancient language. I had heard about it before of course, but not very many people still remembered the language. Then again, Aang is 112 years old and he had teachers who were probably around that age when he was just 12.

I scratched my head, trying to think of a name that suit my dragon. A name that fit her characteristics…

Spirit express…

 _Spirit_ dragon…

 _Spirit…_ hmm. I turned towards Aang with my finger in the air.

"Oh, what's 'spirit' in the Ancient language?" I questioned eagerly. He thought about it for a second.

"I believe 'spirit' is… _Seishin_ in the Ancient language." He answered with a smile, probably seeing where I was going with this.

" _That cool with her?"_ I asked Agni, referring to my golden dragon. A slight rumble in my mind, kinda like a deeper and louder version of a purr, answered my question. I smiled brightly at Aang.

"Great! Seishin it is!"

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! Seishin has a name now. Thanks to everyone who voted on the poll and to all my loyal reviewers and followers. I apologize once more for the GIANT delay in updates, and now that I'm back in the swing of things I promise that the next one won't take nearly as long to get up.**

 **Coming up next chapter: The Swamp**


	23. Chapter 23: The Swamp

**Chapter 23: The Swamp**

 **Hey guys! Yay, this update didn't take 6 months! Btw, thanks to djmegamouth for some great ideas regarding Kai's story. If you guys ever have an idea or think of something you'd like to see, don't be afraid to ask via review or PM! While I can't promise to always do what you guys ask for, I promise to at least read and consider it. Anyways, let's get on with the story!  
**

 **NEW POLL!:  
Also, I wanted to see what you guys would think about me doing a crossover (as suggested by djmegamouth) with Kai and Fullmetal Alchemist? I'll post a poll on my account where you guys can vote on it. The poll is just to see your guys' opinion. In the end it will be my choice of course, but first I want to see if people are really interested in it or not. Please vote!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:  
ShugoYuuki123: I'm glad you're liking the story! Here's the next update as requested, again I apologize for the lateness. Anyways, thanks for the support and I hope you continue to like the story!**

 **Djmegamouth: Hey again! Thanks a lot for all your reviews and for your suggestions. I really will think about them and how to incorporate them. And you'll just have to wait and see if Kai will see her dragon in the real world ;) Hope you like this chapter!**

 **OTrizy: I'm definitely not against the idea! It would make a lot of sense considering how I've written her so far. But, like I've said before I really want to develop Kai as a character before even considering having any type or romance in the story. Thanks for the suggestion though and I'll make sure you hear about it if I turn the story in that direction!**

 **Mermaid's Magic: You know, I was actually thinking about that. Jet's death is one of those that I feel could've been avoided with little consequence. But, I'm also not sure if I want to mess with that part of canon. I'll definitely consider it, but I can't promise anything at this point. Anyways, thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!  
**

* * *

"Hey, you taking us down for a reason?" I opened my eyes at Sokka's question. We had been flying for a couple days after the whole Omashu incident. I swear, ever since meeting that crazy fire bending chick I feel like she's gonna suddenly pop up and demand my head on a silver platter.

Shaking my head, I refocused on what was going on. I sat up before glancing over the side of Appa's saddle and looking down at the swamp below us. Sokka was right. We were gradually getting closer and closer to the surface. Aang looked like he was totally spaced out, just gazing at the swamp.

"Aang! Why are we going down?!" Sokka repeated, louder this time as he sat up and looked at the air bender. Leaning towards Aang, I waved my hand in front of his face.

"Hellooooo? Anyone home?" I questioned. Aang suddenly jumped before shaking his head, almost in confusion.

"What? I…I didn't even notice." He mumbled out, wiping his eyes with his arm.

"Well, are you noticing now?!" Sokka grumbled as he pointed out the rapidly approaching ground with a wave of his hand. I glanced to my side as Katara put her hand on my shoulder, looking at Aang in concern.

"Is everything alright?" We all looked at Aang as he just continued to frown at the ground.

"I know this is gonna sound weird. But, I think the swamp is…calling to me." He said, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. I merely shrugged.

"Considering I have two spirits talking in my head, it's not the weirdest thing I've heard."

"Is it telling you where we can get something to eat?" Sokka, of course, questioned.

"No, I think…it wants us to land there." Aang admitted. His eyes never left the foggy swamp below us.

"Your Avatar friend would do well to listen to such voices. He is connected very deeply to his surroundings." I heard Vayu whisper in my head.

" _Really? Do you know what's up with that swamp?"_

"It is not my place to interfere. But, Kai, I must inform you that if you go into that swamp your connection to us will be severed. It is one of the most spiritual places in the world and within it, Agni and I will manifest in physical form at the heart."

" _At the heart? What are you talking about?"_

"You will learn."

" **Make sure to give us a holler if you need us! While we'll be in physical form, we can still travel pretty fast."** Agni added in.

" _Okay, thanks guys."_ I said before I cut off the connection. Something told me that we were going to end up in that swamp. I tuned back into the conversation with the others.

"-there's something ominous about that swamp." Katara murmured as both she and Sokka looked over the side of the saddle. Momo quickly flew away from the side and into my arms, hiding himself as best he could as Appa let out an unhappy grunt.

"See? Even Appa and Momo agree." Sokka stated as he pointed at the animals. I stared at the ground. I think I could understand what Aang was talking about. There was something like…a whisper in the back of my mind. It felt like there was a pull towards the earth.

"I dunno guys…Agni and Vayu seem to think that swamp is pretty important too." I added in, making them all look at me before looking at each other in thought. Aang and I locked gazes before he shrugged.

"Well, everyone seems to feel pretty strongly against the swamp Kai. Maybe we can come back another time?" He offered instead. Looking at my siblings, I could tell they were pretty spooked by the whole idea of going down. So I merely sighed with a nod.

"Alright, don't say I didn't warn you guys though. Freaky stuff always seems to happen to us."

"Well, bye swamp! Yip yip!" Aang shouted in farewell as he pulled on Appa's reigns, guiding him back into the sky. Suddenly Sokka gasped in horror as he looked behind us.

"Uh, you better throw in an extra yip! We've gotta get out of here!" He shouted, pointing behind us at…a tornado?! Where the heck did that come from?!

We all held on for dear life as Aang began swerving Appa back and forth. The tornado seemed to have a mind of its own, following us no matter where we turned. I brought my hands around my mouth, about to inform Aang about the freakiness of the tornado, when I suddenly felt my body get a lot lighter.

 _Shoot, I let go of the saddle!_ I squeaked in alarm as the tornado started pulling me in, legs first. Sokka quickly grasped one of my flailing arms with his hands before he too started to float upwards with a scream. Katara, being the only one smart enough to keep one hand on the saddle, barely managed to grab onto Sokka's leg, creating a sort of human rope.

Aang quickly looked over at us and jumped towards us. Pushing his hands outwards, he formed a giant sphere of air to keep the tornado winds out. Sokka and I grunted as we plopped onto the saddle very gracefully. I looked outside the sphere in alarm as we floated right into the tornado and began to spin. This time, I made sure to hold on with both hands.

Aang's face scrunched up as his air sphere began to shrink. I looked down and saw that Appa's legs had already left the sphere. Suddenly, with a shout, Aang's sphere broke and I screamed as we were all tossed straight into the tornado. I held my hands over my mouth as we spun wildly. _Ugh, I'm gonna be sick…_

Nearly just seconds after being sucked in, we were spat out of the tornado at record speeds. I grunted as my back hit some vines, breaking my fall as I fell into more vines. Just as I was about to hit the actual floor, I shot fire out of my feet, slowing my decent to a steady stop as I touched the wet ground.

Looking over at Aang I saw that he had done the same thing with his air. Sokka and Katara on the other hand? Not so lucky.

Sokka sat up with a gurgle, spitting out the swamp water from his mouth as he and Katara stood up. Aang looked around us with wide eyes.

"Where's Appa and Momo?" He questioned in alarm, immediately jumping up into the tree tops to get a better vantage point. I looked over at Sokka and immediately noticed the giant, slug-like creature that had attached to his arm. _Hmm…to warn, or not to warn. That is the question._ Deciding that I probably was a bit too mean at times, I poked his shoulder.

"Hey Sokka, you've got an elbow leech." I stated simply as he started completely freaking out.

"Where?! WHERE?!" He questioned madly as Katara and I rolled our eyes.

"Where do you think?" Katara questioned as he finally pulled up his left elbow. He grasped the leech tightly, pulling it off of him and tossing it over his shoulder

"Why do things keep attaching to me?!" He asked in frustration. Before either of us could say anything in reply, Aang showed back up with a defeated face.

"You couldn't find them?" Katara questioned gently.

"No, and I couldn't see the tornado either. It just…vanished." He said with wide eyes. We all glanced at each other with freaked out faces. _Tornados that form and vanish into thin air?_

"I told you guys so." I groaned out. People should really listen to me more!

* * *

"We better speed things up." Sokka stated as he started swinging his machete through the vines in front of us. I flinched as he continued to slice through them.

"Sokka, maybe you should be a little nicer to the swamp." Aang suggested as he looked at the greenery around us. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, remember Hei Bai? Spirits can be downright territorial." I added.

"What? They're just plants! And it's not like I'm burning the whole place down or anything. Do you want me to say please and thank you as I swing my machete?" Sokka questioned sarcastically as he continued to cut through.

"Maybe you should listen to Aang and Kai, Sokka. Something about this place feels…alive." Katara agreed as she hugged herself. Sokka rolled his eyes, temporarily pausing his swinging to turn to us.

"I'm sure there are lots of things in here that are _alive_. And, if we don't want to end up getting eaten by them, we need to find Appa and Momo as fast as we can." Sokka insisted. I merely sighed.

 _This is gonna be a loooonng walk.  
_

* * *

"Appa! Momo!" Katara shouted out as we continued walking in the dark. I nudged her shoulder slightly to get her to stop yelling.

"It's not like they're gonna be able to hear or find us now." I stated, pointing around us. It was almost pitch black and with all the vines and trees around, Appa would have a hard time navigating his way in the first place.

"We should set up camp here for the night." Sokka added as the rest of us nodded in agreement. Katara jumped a little as a sudden bursting noise came from below us.

"What was that?!" She gasped in alarm.

"It was just a little swamp gas. Nothing supernatural here." Sokka informed. I held my nose with a groan as the stench filled my nostrils. It was worse than Sokka's socks! And that was saying something.

Suddenly, an unnatural scream rang out through the swamp. We all let out screams ourselves and immediately hugged each other in fright. I looked up and saw that it was simply a tiny, fluffy, _demon_ bird.

I scowled at it, wishing very harmful things upon it as Sokka quickly jumped away from our little group.

"I think we should get a fire going." Sokka stated nervously, already walking over to some branches and roots were. Pulling out his machete, I smacked my face as he started going gung-ho on those poor plants again.

"Sokka, the longer we're here, the more I feel like you really shouldn't be doing that." Aang once again insisted, looking around worriedly. I nodded in agreement. Ugh, the one time I wish I could ask Vayu for some advice…

"It's fine, I asked the swamp for permission. Right swamp?" He said sarcastically, grabbing a branch next to him and wiggling it back and forth as he said, " _Right Sokka!"_ before hacking the top of the branch right off.

Katara and I shared exasperated looks behind Aang's back as he merely looked at Sokka with a brow raised.

After a couple minutes Sokka dumped a pile of sticks in front of us before pushing them closer together in a nice pile. I immediately shot a small stream of fire at that pile, lighting it. I scooted closer to the fire, sighing in relief at the feeling. I looked to both my sides as I realized that Katara and Aang had both scooted closer to me as well.

"Uh, hi?" I stated, raising my eyebrows at them. They both shrugged.

"You're like a human sized heater. And _you_ don't burn us when we touch you." Katara answered simply as they both leaned on my shoulders. I glared half-heartedly at them.

"So what? I'm just a personal heater now?" I grumbled under my breath, but upped my body temperature anyways. If I'm gonna be a personal heater, might as well be a darn good one.

* * *

"AHH!" I jerked away with a shout of alarm as I felt my body suddenly being tugged forwards by something attached to my foot. Similar shouts let me know that the others were experiencing similar things. I was pulled into the fog in front of me and continued being speedily dragged. I grimaced as I felt mud and rocks slide under my back as I glanced forwards to see what was grabbing me. _A vine?! The heck?!_

Glaring at the offending plant, I quickly shot fire out of my feet, burning it to a crisp and quickly jumping out of the way as more vines suddenly shot at me again. I kept on running forward, shooting fire behind me to keep the plants off. Suddenly, I felt the ground drop in front of me and I let out a squeak as I tumbled down the hill in front of me.

Grunting as I finally hit the floor, I carefully sat up, rubbing the back of my head with a groan. My eyes widened as I saw that the fog had suddenly disappeared. Weird. First disappearing tornados, demon birds, demon _vines_ , and now disappearing fog? Vayu really could've offered more advice.

I stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off of my clothes as I looked around for any sign of the others. There was no one but me. I glared at the ground, kicking a few vines as I made my way forward.

"Stupid vines…stupid Sokka for aggravating the vines…" I grumbled. I continued to walk forward aimlessly, looking for any sign of the others before a thought hit me. Oh yeah, I could call on Agni and Vayu for help!

"Agni! Vayu! You guys around here somewhere?!" I yelled out, cupping my hands around my mouth. I paused for a second to see if there was any change in my environment before repeating my call. Just as I was about to call a third time, another voice cut me off.

"Geez, you're a bit more pathetic than I thought you would be. But, only a bit." Was drawled out. I quickly spun around, bringing up my hands in case of an attack as I faced the newcomer.

There was a teenage girl behind me who looked to be Sokka's age, if not a little younger. She had long black hair with emerald eyes and she was pretty pale in my opinion. Her clothes are what really surprised me though. I had never seen anyone dressed like her. She had a weird hat on her head and her shirt had something going down the middle that held it together. It looked metal. She stood there casually, crossing her arms and leaning on one foot.

Suddenly, she seemed to zone out for a second. Her eyes glazed over and she stared past me at nothing. After just a second or two, it passed and she focused back on me.

"C'mon, you're supposed to follow me this way." She sighed, turning around and motioning for me to follow her. I hesitated for only a second before following. It didn't look like she was my enemy and I really had no idea where to go anyways. I jogged to catch up with her before I was at her side.

"So…who are you exactly?" I questioned, glancing over at her. She just shrugged.

"Right now? Nobody." She stated simply. Oh geez, was she one of those people that just spoke in riddles? Great. I rolled my eyes at her statement.

"Okay then, thanks Nobody." I replied sarcastically. Annoyingly enough, she just continued to ignore my presence. What a stick in the mud.

"If you're just gonna ignore me, why are you helping me? Or I think you're helping me…where are we going?" I asked in curiosity, hoping she wouldn't say something like 'to your death'. She let out a huff of annoyance.

"You're even more annoying as a 12 year old…" She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She turned her head slightly to be able to face me better as we walked forwards.

"Listen, if it were up to me I wouldn't be here. And if you keep asking questions I'll become rather tempted to just ditch you to find your own way. I'm taking you to the heart of the swamp." She explained. I scowled at her statement, sticking my tongue out at her before listening and shutting up. From what Vayu and Agni said, they were at the heart of the swamp anyways. So, I'd probably get to find them for help if I followed this stranger.

"God, you're just as annoying as my sister." Nobody muttered under her breath. I don't think I was supposed to hear it, but I focused in on it anyways.

"You're sister?" I questioned hesitantly. I hope this isn't one of those questions that will lead to me being ditched in this swamp. She hesitated for a second before nodding.

"Yeah, I've got an older sister back home. She's annoying too, but in a different way. You're the little kid type of annoying while she's the adult type of annoying. Always thinking she knows best, treating me like I'm a piece of glass, and generally being the 'perfect lady'." She grumbled out, ranting slightly. I nodded in sympathetic understanding.

"I totally get it, my sister is exactly the same. We actually got into a big fight over it a while ago actually. After that, she's backed off a bit." I explained with a shrug. Ms. Nobody looked surprised at that.

"Really? Huh, I thought nothing could get older sisters to back off." She hummed in thought before tilting her head to the side in question.

"How'd you do it?"

"Well, we just kinda…sat down and actually talked about it." I answered simply. She snorted and opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off with a wave of my hand.

"No really, that's all that happened. I always thought that she'd never listen to me, but she did and explained her side of things. She's become really paranoid about 'loosing me' and having the cause be 'her fault'. Maybe your sister's the same. I think you should try to talk to your sister too." I offered with a smile. That seemed to make her pause for a minute as she considered what I said.

"Yeah…maybe."

* * *

"Well, this is where I have to leave you." Nobody stated as she suddenly stopped walking. I looked at her with wide eyes.

"What? But, I still don't know where to go or where to find my friends!" I exclaimed, looking around me in alarm. She just patted my shoulder.

"They'll be here soon." She turned and began to walk away before pausing for a second. Looking over her shoulder, she gave me a small smile.

"It was nice meeting you kid. And…thanks for the whole advice on my sister. I'll give it some thought." She said before walking around a tree and out of my sight. I smiled after her, until what she said caught up to me.

"Hey! I'm not a kid! I-!" I ran over to where I last saw her, looking around the tree only to pause. She had disappeared. I grunted in frustration.

"What's with everything disappearing?!" I turned around with a huff and took a look around me. The roots I was standing on were significantly thicker than the others. I'm guessing that if I followed the roots I'd find the center of the swamp, the heart. Just as I was about to climb up, a body collided into mine at tops speeds.

"Ahh!" I fell forward with a scream and fell straight off into some vines. I felt two more collisions happen before we all finally stopped on a large root. I groaned as I rolled to the side before looking around to see what I had hit. I let out a sigh of relief as I saw that I had found the others.

"Where have you all been?! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Sokka exclaimed as he jumped up quickly.

"Well I've been looking all over for _you_!" Katara countered as she stood up, brushing her dress off. Aang just looked around confused.

"I was chasing some girl." He stated, air bending to get up. I looked over at him with wide eyes.

"You too?" I questioned. Aang probably wasn't following the same girl as me, but that girl probably lead Aang here just as Nobody lead me.

"What girls?" Katara questioned Aang. He rubbed the back of his head as he glanced behind him, deeper into the swamp.

"I don't know…I heard laughing, and saw a girl in a fancy dress." He explained. Sokka rolled his eyes before smiling sarcastically.

"Well there must some tea party going on and we just didn't get our invitations!" He exclaimed, clasping his hands together like a little girl. I punched him in the arm, making him glare at me as Katara faced the ground sadly.

"…I thought I saw mom." That made us all go quiet. I looked at her sadly. Kaya was a very touchy subject with Katara and I knew that she was still haunted from the day Kaya was killed. Sokka looked at her with wide eyes before shaking his head.

"Look, we were all just scared and hungry, and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out here." He insisted. I glanced at him curiously.

"What did you see out here Sokka?"

"I thought I saw Yue. But that doesn't prove anything. Look, I think about her all the time. Katara, you miss mom a lot." He added. I scratched the back of my head as I thought about his explanation.

"But, I didn't know who I saw. Plus, I actually talked to her and she talked back." I stated, thinking back on my conversation with Nobody. There was no way that she wasn't real. My mind wouldn't make something like that up.

"I didn't know the girl I saw either. And all our visions lead us here." Aang added with a calculating look on his face. Katara looked around us.

"Okay, so where is here? The center of the swamp?" She asked as we all turned and looked at the giant tree behind us. It stood high above us with thousands of roots growing out. It was probably the biggest tree I have ever seen in my life.

"Yeah…the heart of the swamp! It was calling us here, I knew it!" Aang exclaimed in excitement. I looked around, hoping to find Agni and Vayu around. They said they would be at the heart of the swamp. I was brought out of my thoughts as Sokka threw his arms in the air.

"It's. A. Tree! It can't call anything! For the last time, there's nothing after us and there's nothing magical going on here!" Just as he said that, we all screamed as a wave of water erupted to our side. A giant vine monster with a wooden face appeared out of the water. I scowled at Sokka.

"Stop jinxing us!" I screamed at him, jumping to the side as the vine monster swung his arm at us. Sokka screamed as the thing wrapped around his leg and pulled him towards the monster. I swung my arm forward, sending an arc of fire at the thing while trying not to hit Sokka.

The arm holding Sokka was suddenly cut off by an arc of air, causing him to fall into the water with a shout. The thing swung its other arm at Aang, managing to smack him and send him flying.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" I shouted, shooting a couple more bursts of fire at the thing to get its attention. But, for some reason it seemed to be really targeting Sokka. The arm that Aang cut off quickly reattached before scooping up my brother and beginning to run away.

Katara quickly grabbed my hand before water bending us towards the vine creature. She cut into the creature's arm, but it just pulled up more vines to heal itself again. I looked at the thing with a glare. There was no way it was a spirit. It didn't give off that same aura that spirits usually did. But if it wasn't a spirit, then what was it?

I was broken out of my thoughts as the thing swung its arm out at Katara, managing to slam into her and send her flying past Aang who also was sent flying again by a third arm. The creature had pulled Sokka into the front of its main body now, slowly trying to pull him all the way in. I couldn't burn the thing to a crisp without taking Sokka with it.

Cursing under my breath I launched myself upwards, managing to flip over a couple arms before landing on the thing's head. I shot a stream of white flames from both arms at either side of the creature, trying to disarm the thing literally without hitting Sokka. I yelped as a stream of vines suddenly shot out the top of the creature, slamming into me and sending me crashing into a tree with a groan.

I saw Aang jump on top of the thing, spinning it into a tornado until it looked like a cocoon made of vines. Katara, seeing her chance, froze the vines around Sokka and launched herself at him with a wave of water. She managed to break through the creature, taking Sokka with her. I smiled. Now Sokka wasn't in danger!

Aang launched himself at the creature again, slamming into it with a wave of air and making it face plant into the water. But, he was sent flying once again as an arm whipped out at him. I leaped at the creature instead, two whips of fire at my side. I swung them at the vines with a shout, managing to burn the arms of it to a crisp before Katara took over.

She began swinging her arms in a rotating fashion, sending blade after blade of water at the thing and slicing it up. I frowned as a part of the vines fell away, revealing what looked like a leg before it was covered up again. Suddenly Katara managed to cut into it again, revealing the face of a man for a split second. Sokka, realizing the same thing as me shouted out.

"There's a guy in there! He's bending the vines!" He announced. With a shout, Katara send one more arc of water at the thing's face, slicing the top right off. The thing looked like a mess of cut vines now. I squeaked in alarm as vines suddenly shot out from beneath me, grabbing me and lifting me up into the air. Looking over to the side, I saw that Katara was in a similar situation.

Aang suddenly showed back up, pushing his arms out at the thing and sending a huge blast of air at it. The vines surrounding the man got swept away, revealing more of him as Aang spoke.

"Why did you call us here if you're just going to kill us?!" He questioned with a glare. Almost immediately, the vines stopped moving and the man faced us with a confused look.

"Wait! I didn't call you here." He announced with wide eyes. I grimaced as I saw what he was wearing. Literally, he was just wearing underwear made out of a few leaves and that was it. I forced myself not to gag as I focused on the conversation at hand.

"We were flying over the swamp when I heard something calling to me and telling me to land." Aang explained. We were all holding our hands up, or in Sokka's case his machete, in preparation for an attack as the man lifted his hands in a placating manner.

"He's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us a lot." Sokka added in just for good measure.

"The Avatar? Come with me." The man stated, turning around. We all looked at each other before beginning to follow the guy.

"Right…let's just follow the guy that just tried to kill us. Yay." I deadpanned, but still continued following anyways.

* * *

"So, who are you then?" Katara questioned as we followed the man up the roots of the giant tree.

"I protect the swamp from those that want to hurt it, like this fellow with his big knife." He explained, giving a pointed look at Sokka. I elbowed my brother in the ribs.

"See, told you to not touch the plants." I said smugly. He rolled his eyes at me before speaking.

"But, this was completely reasonable like I said. Nothing supernatural, just a regular guy defending his home. Nothing mystical about it." Sokka insisted once again. I looked at the man and questioned Sokka's definition of a 'regular guy'.

"Oh, but the swamp is a mystical place all right. It's sacred. I reached enlightenment right here under the banyan grove tree. It called to me, just as it called to you." He explained, taking up a meditative position on the floor.

"Sure it did, it seems real chatty." Sokka grumbled sarcastically. I glared at him. Sokka really needs to learn a balance between spiritual things and scientific things. Aang and I are walking proof that weird, spiritual things happen.

"You see, this whole swamp is actually just one tree spread out over miles. Branches spread, then sink, take root and then spread some more. One big organism! Just like the entire world." The man explained, waving his arms out and motioning to the entirety of the swamp. I looked out over all the trees in awe. A single tree did this? It was pretty amazing what nature could accomplish.

"I get how the whole swamp is one organism, but the whole world?" Aang questioned with raised eyebrows. The man just smiled at him.

"Sure. You think you're any different from me, or your friends, or this tree? If you listen hard enough you can hear every living thing breathing together. You can feel everything growing. We're all living together, even if most folks don't act like it. We're all from the same roots, and we're all from the same tree." He explained. I could really see why this guy was enlightened. I really took his words to heart. It would be an important mindset to teach others after the war.

"But, what did our visions mean?" Katara asked in curiosity. I nodded my head. I wanted to know too.

"The swamp shows us visions of people we've lost, of people we've loved. Folks we think are gone, but the swamp tells us their not. We're still connected to them. Time is an illusion, and so is death." He replied. Aang and I glanced at each other before I spoke up.

"But, what about Aang and I? We didn't know the people we saw?" I questioned. He just smiled at us.

"You're smart kids, you tell me." He stated. Aang concentrated on the ground as he talked it through.

"Time is an illusion…so, it's someone we _will_ meet." He said with wide eyes. I smiled brightly at that. I would get to see Ms. Nobody again someday! Hopefully she had talked with her sister by then.

"I hate to interrupt the lesson, but we should really go and look for Appa and Momo." Sokka stated, standing up and stretching.

"I think I know how to find them…everything is connected." Aang mumbled as he reached his hand down to touch the root under us. Suddenly, the tattoo on his hand lit up. He concentrated for a second before standing up quickly.

"C'mon we've gotta hurry! Appa and Momo are in danger!" He exclaimed before running down the roots. My siblings and I glanced at each other before quickly turning to follow him. I paused mid step and glanced over at my shoulder. I could've sworn I felt someone staring at me…

"Kai? You okay?" Katara called to me as she looked at me in concern. I shook off the thought before nodding at her and beginning to run after them again.

* * *

 **No one's POV  
** From the side of the banyan tree, three figures watched as Kai disappeared past the roots.

"You know, I don't get why you two didn't go over and say hi to her or something. She did call out to you anyways." The first figure stated as she watched the girl that she had led there. Next to her stood the spirits Agni and Vayu.

"It's important that she go with the others to Appa and Momo right now. We'd only be a distraction. And we sent her you when she called for us to help." Vayu explained calmly. Agni pouted in the background.

"I wanted to go myself, but Vayu said this way was better. Plus, we'll go and see her after the incident with Appa and Momo calms down." She stated, growing happier. The girl just sighed.

"You two were probably just being lazy…" She mumbled under her breath. They all stood there for a second, just looking out into the swamp before the girl spoke again.

"It was…nice to getting to meet her here though. And it was nice to meet you two as well." She stated, glancing over at the two spirits and sticking her hands in her pockets. The two spirits looked at her with sad smiles.

"It was nice to meet you as well. I can tell you're a very promising person." Vayu said kindly as he patted the girl's shoulder. Agni was uncharacteristically quiet, looking at the place she last saw Kai. The girl looked at Agni's expression before speaking.

"She really misses you, ya know." She offered with a shrug. The fire spirit looked at the girl for a second before pulling her into a warm hug. The girl stiffened for a second before hesitantly raising one hand to return it.

"Tell her we miss her too, and that we'll always be with her." Agni replied quietly. Vayu laid his hand on her shoulder before smiling at the girl.

"Now, I think it's about time for you to head back home." He stated. The girl nodded in agreement.

"Yup, it's time for me to wake up. Goodbye Agni, Vayu." She said, waving her hand as her form slowly started to disappear. They both waved back as Agni spoke.

"Goodbye, Reyna."

Where the girl once stood, only a few leaves were left.

* * *

"Appa!" Aang shouted as he saw his bison in ropes. There were two canoes down in the river. Both held two men on them that were dressed, sadly, similarly to the vine man. One of the men was holding a wiggling bag that I suspected Momo to be in.

Aang quickly destroyed the first canoe by sending an arc of air at it before knocking the guy holding Momo's bag into the water with another blast of air.

"We're under attack!" The other guy in the canoe shouted before water bending a giant wave at us. Aang and Katara quickly negated it with their own water bending. Katara looked at the guy with wide eyes.

"Hey, you guys are water benders!" She announced in shock. The man immediately stopped water bending with a smile.

"You too?! That means we're kin!" He shouted happily, making Katara grimace. Just then, Sokka and the vine man walked over to our side as well. The man on the canoe looked surprised before smiling.

"Hey Yu, where you been?!" He questioned loudly. The vine man, Yu, just smiled.

"Oh you know, scared some folks, swung some vines…the usual." He replied simply. We all stared at him.

"The usual?" I questioned, seriously wondering what this guy did with his life.

"Yu?" Sokka deadpanned. I admit, that would probably get really confusing having 'Yu' as a name.

* * *

"So, how you like that possum chicken?" The skinny canoe guy, whose name was Due, questioned as he sat down.

"Tastes just like arctic hen. So, why were you guys so interested in eating Appa anyways? You've got plenty of those big guys around." Sokka asked as he pointed at the large crocodile-like creature behind Tho, the guy who was holding Momo's bag, and Due.

"You want me to eat 'ol Slim? He's like a member of the family!" Due exclaimed, throwing a small fish for Slim to eat. Sokka pulled a beetle off of his kabob and tossed it towards Slim.

"Nice Slim." He said, only to be snapped at. He jumped behind me with a squeal, making me pat his head with a sigh as Tho and Due laughed.

"Aw, Slim don't eat no bugs! That's people food!" Due explained. I looked between them all with a raised brow.

"So…why are none of you surprised that I'm a fire bender?" I questioned in confusion. I honestly expected a bit more resistance at this point. They all just shrugged.

"We're all people, ain't we? Don't matter what comes out of our hands. Figured if you was traveling with the Avatar, you was alright." Tho explained as both Due and Yu (Wow, those are really rhymy names) nodded in agreement. I just smiled at them. It was nice to be looked at like that. Tho then proceeded to examine us.

"Where'd you say y'all were from?" He questioned.

"The South Pole." Katara answered with a smile. Aang and I started a little game behind her back of who could hit the other with the most bugs. I was winning before Katara quickly shot the both of us a glare, making us stop fast and pretend to eat our food again.

"Didn't know there were any water benders anywhere but here. They got good swamps there?" Tho questioned eagerly. I stared at him. Obviously, these guys knew squat about the South Pole. Or the North Pole for that matter.

"No, just ice and snow." Katara explained, flicking me in the forehead as I went to throw another bug at Aang. I glared at her, rubbing my forehead in annoyance. Tho and Due stared at us with wide eyes after that.

"Huh, no wonder you left." Tho stated simply. I nodded, it wasn't very exciting there for sure.

"Now I hope you realize that nothing _strange_ was going on here. Just a bunch of greasy people in a swamp." Sokka stated as he looked over at us, having moved out from behind me again.

"What about our visions?!" Katara questioned, glaring at him. He just waved her off.

"I told you, we were just hungry! I'm eating a giant bug!" He said, holding up the thing before taking a bite. I gagged as I turned away from the sight. I really didn't need to see that while I was eating myself. Sokka turned to Yu with a calculating look.

"The only thing I can't get is how you made that tornado that got us down here." He stated. Yu just shrugged.

"I can't do anything like that. I only bend the vines." He insisted. Just as Sokka went to open his mouth, a very familiar voice spoke up.

"That was actually my doing." I looked past Sokka excitedly as he jumped backwards with a scream. Two figures had suddenly appeared during our conversation. I leapt at both of them and hugged them tightly.

"Agni! Vayu! You guys finally showed up! I was wondering where you were." I said happily as I felt them hug me back. I looked over as I noticed everything had gone deathly quiet. Everyone was staring at us with wide eyes and dropped jaws, except for Aang who only looked surprised for a second.

"It's nice to see you two again." He greeted, standing and bowing to them formally. Agni waved it off.

"Oh, don't be so formal young Avatar! We're practically family!" She announced before pulling him into a hug as well. While Aang struggled to get released, I turned towards the others to explain. I explained the whole Azrita Zura thing to the swamp people, which Yu was very interested in, before explaining why Agni and Vayu can exist in physical form here to all of them.

"So you guys are the spirits Kai is always talking about? It's very nice to meet you." Katara greeted with a smile as Sokka just stared at Vayu.

"…You're blue." He stated simply, making me bust a gut laughing. Vayu shot me a death glare.

"I swear! I didn't tell him to say that!" I insisted through my laughter. Vayu just sighed in exasperation as Katara smacked Sokka upside the head. He glared at her before throwing his hands into the air.

"This doesn't prove me wrong! It's a Kai thing, so it doesn't count. Nothing mystical going on here!" I debated whether or not I should be offended as Vayu spoke up.

"I beg to differ young man. I am very in tune with nature and I can vouch for the swamp's mystical qualities. I created it, after all." He stated, almost smugly in my opinion. Sokka gaped like a fish as he tried to come up with something to say. But it was kind of hard to argue with a spirit of nature.

Aang and I high fived behind Katara's back. Finally managed to shut Sokka up! I looked over at the two spirits as a question came to mind.

"Hey, do you two know who that person was that I saw earlier? My vision was a lot more real than the others'." I said with a frown. They both shared a look that made me feel like I was missing something, before responding.

"That would be spoiling Kai." Agni replied with a wink. Before Vayu continued.

"You'll find out in due time. The only thing you need to know, is that she's a part of your future." I huffed, crossing my arms in frustration.

"Ugh, you people with your darn riddles!"

* * *

 **That's a wrap on Ch.23! Hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon! I know a lot of you are excited to see Toph come into play. I am too.**

 **I hope you also liked the little teaser for Kai's future in here. All will be explained in time, but you won't be seeing Reyna for a long time.**

 **Coming up next chapter: Avatar Day  
**


	24. Chapter 24: Avatar Day

**Chapter 24: Avatar Day**

 **Hey guys! Sorry about any confusion about what chapter this was going to be. I accidentally forgot that this episode came before the Blind Bandit. And I also apologize for such a late post, I had a little trip to the hospital that took a little bit to recover from. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **OTrizy: Oh, you can bet that Kai will want to befriend Toph after seeing her in the tournament. And I'm glad you liked the Agni and Vayu moment in the last chapter. I felt it was an appropriate time for the siblings to meet the spirits. Thanks for your review and I hope you like this chapter too!**

 **Djmegamouth: I totally understand, I have to go back to my old chapters constantly to remember what I said and try not to contradict myself. Though I've already failed a couple times. Kai's mother's name is Nima. Reyna is another OC that I've created and you'll get to learn more about her down the road, much further down the road. I'm gonna try not to give out too many spoilers to Toph's interactions with Kai so that it'll be new for everyone, but I'm definitely excited for it. Thanks for all your reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Purplechic13: Hello again! Glad you liked seeing Agni and Vayu in person. As I was starting to write the chapter that idea just kinda popped out. And don't worry, you'll meet Reyna eventually. But, it will take a while just to warn you. I've thought really far ahead in where I want this story to go, and I think it will be a pleasant surprise. Sorry about the chapter mix up, but the next one will definitely have Toph in it! Anyways, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
**

 **Jazz The Inu: Thanks for the review! I think you liked it? Your review didn't exactly say much, but thanks anyways!**

 **Dream Lighting: I'm glad you're enjoying my story. I'm sorry, but this story won't be a AangxKai story for sure. I'm not sure if I'm going to pair Kai with someone at all, but I know for sure I don't want to mess with the Aang pairing. I hope you still like the story though.  
**

 **Watertribegirl: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it. Again, I apologize for taking so long to post again. It's been a crazy few months. But, I'm back up and running!**

* * *

 **Please vote in the poll on my profile!**

* * *

"Ack!" I jolted awake in alarm as a shout rang through our little camp. I groggily lifted my fists up in front of me, preparing for an attack as I looked around. I rolled my eyes as I only saw Sokka scolding Momo for being in his…mouth? Oh, that poor lemur.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking and Katara and Aang both bolted up out of their sleeping bags as four men riding komodo rhinos popped out of the bushes. A fifth man appeared on a cliff overlooking our campsite. He had a weird Mohawk going on and a copper nose ring. I'm guessing these guys were bounty hunters of sorts.

"Give up! You're completely surrounded!" He announced in triumph as the riders began to circle us. I groaned, face planting into my sleeping bag.

"Can't we just go though one week normally?" I grumbled before rolling to the side as a fire arrow was shot right in the middle of my bag. Flinging my arm out, I distracted the archer with a face full of fire before leaping up and running towards Appa where the others were already waiting.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon!" Sokka shouted desperately as he climbed into the bison's saddle. Katara gasped in horror, looking back towards the campsite with wide eyes.

"Wait my scrolls!"

"My staff!" Aang shouted as well as he leaped off Appa's head. I looked over at the campsite too, just to check and my eyes went wide as I spotted the sheath.

"My sword!" Gosh dang it, I knew I shouldn't have taken it out of Appa's saddle yesterday! I quickly turned around and started to run back over to the site. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the men throw a small object my way. As it landed in front of me I gasped in realization. _That's a bomb! He's throwing bombs at me?!_

I brought my hands up in front of me at the last second, just as it exploded. Manipulating the flames around me, I managed to keep running forwards. I grabbed my sword off the ground before turning around once again to head back. Sliding, I ducked just as a blade passed over my head. One of the men had a qiang on him, which is basically a spear with a long blade on the end.

I spun my legs out and tripped him up before continuing back to Appa. Shooting fire from my feet, I launched myself into the saddle just as Katara arrived with Aang. He quickly grabbed Appa's reigns, snapping them desperately.

"Yip yip!" He shouted, lifting us off the ground. The last rhino rider on the cliff growled at us as he shot a couple blasts of fire at us. I'm surprised he didn't try that earlier. I simply stood up and blocked the fire as it approached us. I yelped as Sokka suddenly pushed me to the side, looking down at the ground in horror.

"Wait my boomerang!" He pleaded as he pointed at the thing which happened to be lying in the middle of the campsite. Katara merely gripped his shoulder as I looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"There's no time Sokka! Those men are still down there."

"You didn't care to think of that as the rest of us were all out there? It's a little late now…" We said at the same time. Sokka glared at the both of us.

"Oh, so there's time to get your scrolls, his staff, and Kai's sword which she barely uses might I add! But not MY boomerang?!" He exclaimed indignantly.

"That's correct!" Katara stated simply, smiling. I just looked at the sword in my hands. Sokka was right, I didn't use it that often. I just wasn't much of a swordfighter honestly. But, it did hold sentimental value so I wasn't just gonna leave it down there.

"Oh…" my brother pouted sadly. I just patted his arm.

"If it loves you, it will come back…or so they say."

* * *

"Sorry about your boomerang, Sokka." Aang stated as he looked down at my sulking brother. We had stopped by a nearby village to restock and were waiting for the shop owner to gather all our things. Aang scratched his head, which was covered with a straw hat to hide his arrow. He looked at me helplessly and I just shrugged.

Sokka let out another sigh of despair as I just patted his shoulder lightly. He was taking this whole boomerang thing harder than I thought.

"I feel like I've lost a part of my identity. Like, what if you lost your arrow?! What if Kai lost her annoyingness?! And what if Katara lost her…hair-loopies?" He questioned with a wave of his arm. I glared at him, flicking his forehead before walking over to Katara.

"I take back any sympathy I gave you." I huffed. To think I was feeling sorry for the guy. Katara just gave him a hug for comfort as the stall owner placed a basket of supplies on the counter.

"Here's your produce ponytail guy." He said with a smile. Sokka just sulked more as he picked it up.

"I used to be boomerang guy…" He sighed sadly, walking off to the side. I just sighed before glancing over at Katara who was staring at me pointedly and holding her palm out. Rolling my eyes, I untied the pouch at my waist and dumped it in her hands.

"Don't worry, this is just stuff from home. Nothing stolen in there." I appeased with a shrug. She just smiled before dumping a few coins into her hands. If she wanted me to stop picking pockets she really should at least pretend to dislike the money I get. Katara handed a few coins to the shop owner who looked at them with surprise.

"Hey, water tribe money!" He stated with wide eyes. Katara smiled at him sheepishly while handing me my pouch back.

"I hope that's okay." She offered. He just shrugged, pocketing the coin with a smile.

"As long as it's money." Katara and I walked back over to the silently sobbing Sokka and Aang as the man turned to close the shutters on his shop.

"Happy Avatar Day!" He announced, making all of us turn to him.

"Avatar Day?" Aang gaped.

"You guys are going to the festival, right?" The man questioned as he turned to walk towards the village. The rest of us, minus the still sobbing Sokka, looked at each other. I smiled and patted Aang on the shoulder.

"Let's go celebrate you!"

* * *

"There's a festival for the Avatar, who knew?" Aang said as we walked through the village streets. The entire place was filled with energy as people bustled about. Shops were selling snacks and toys, banners were strung, and music filled the air. I picked up a little Avatar Kyoshi statue and examined it with a shrug.

"Considering what past Avatars have done it's not that surprising." I answered, placing the statue back just as Katara pulled on my arm.

"Hey look! They made a giant float of Avatar Kyoshi!" She announced, pointing at the thing as it rolled through the main street. I followed the others as we pushed our way through the crowed to follow the float and get a closer look.

"And there's one of Avatar Roku." Sokka pointed out as we reached the front. Aang smiled as he looked at them.

"Having a festival in your honor is great and all, but it's just nice to be appreciated." He stated happily. I laughed when Katara pointed out the next float, a giant Aang. In contrast to the previous two floats, Aang's had a big, goofy grin on its face. The eyes were a bit disconcerting to be honest.

"It's the biggest me I've ever seen." Aang said in awe. The three floats were lined up next to each other in the center of the square. Suddenly a shirtless guy, with longer hair than me, began to run towards them holding a torch.

"A torch is a nice prop! It's bright, dangerous, smells manly." He said after taking a big sniff of the air. He grabbed his chin with his hand as he looked off in thought.

"Though, I'm not sure I could pull it off." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes.

"Sokka, I don't think anyone can really pull off running around with a torch all the time. Not even that guy." I stated, vaguely pointing in the man's direction. We all watched as he got closer and closer to the floats.

"Hey…what's he doing?" Katara questioned as he started just gunning it for the Kyoshi statue. I gaped in shock and horror as the man leaped straight through the Kyoshi float, tearing a hole in the middle and lighting it on fire at the same time. The whole feel of the festival changed as people began to chant crazily.

"Down with the Avatar! Down with the Avatar!" The torch guy then jumped onto Roku's float, similarly lighting it on fire. An older looking man with a fancy hat waved his hand toward Aang's float with a nod. The torch went flying from the guy's hands and I winced as it crashed straight through the eye, setting Aang's head on fire.

Katara and I glanced at each other before simultaneously running out into the courtyard. As Katara sprayed the floats of Aang and Roku with buckets of water, I sapped the heat from Kyoshi's. I settled the fire with a final wave of my hand before turning towards the people, who were looking at us in shock, anger, and some in horror.

"Those party poopers are ruining Avatar Day!" One man shouted. Aang suddenly shot out of the crowd, landing on the shoulder of his own float.

"Those party poopers are my friends!" He shouted, throwing the hat off his head and exposing his arrow. Immediately everyone shrunk back.

"It's the Avatar himself!" The fancy-hat guy stated in shock.

"He's come to destroy us with his awesome Avatar-power!" Another screamed out. I rolled my eyes. These people are ridiculous. Aang reached out his hand to try and calm everyone, which only resulted in everyone cowering and one guy diving head first behind someone else.

"I suggest you leave Avatar! You're not welcome here." The fancy-hat guy said as he stood up, brushing the dirt off his robes. Aang hovered down towards us as Katara glared at the man.

"Why not? Aang helps people." She insisted.

"It's true, I'm on _your_ side." Aang added as he stood next to us. The man just glared at us.

"I find that hard to believe Avatar, considering what you did in your past life! It was Avatar Kyoshi who murdered our leader, Chin the Great!" He announced angrily, folding his arms. I smacked my forehead very loudly.

"Aang is not Kyoshi!" I shouted. Grabbing his arm I stood him next to Kyoshi's float.

"Aang. Kyoshi. Aang! Kyoshi! Boy. Full grown woman who wears a lot of makeup. Get the difference?" I questioned in exasperation, pointing between the two. Why in the world these people were blaming Aang for something his past life did is beyond me. It's not like Aang is the reason she possibly killed this guy. Just because they share the Avatar spirit doesn't mean they're not each different and individual people.

The fancy-hat guy opened and closed his mouth a few times, seemingly not knowing what to say before shaking his head in frustration.

"Irrelevant!" Is all he said with a huff before pointing his finger at me.

"And don't think I don't know who _you_ are missy! Especially after that little fire bending trick just now. If you think we're going to let some fire bender just go gallivanting through our village, you have another thing coming!" He ranted. Aang just stared at the people with a kicked-puppy look on his face.

"You think I… _murdered_ someone?" He asked in horror, completely ignoring anything else being said. Okay, not really helping your case Aang.

"That's ridiculous, Aang would never do that! No Avatar would! And it's terrible that you're questioning his honor like this." Katara reprimanded harshly. I mean, sure it's not exactly normal for Avatars to go around killing people. But, I'm guessing their job wasn't always easy and clean. Avatars are charged with holding balance. I doubt it's always peacefully done. The only thing I'm sure of is that this 'Chin' guy probably wasn't the nicest, and that these villagers were still stupid for blaming this on Aang.

"Let's show the Avatar what we think about his honor!" A man shouted out, before promptly turning around, pointing his butt at us, and making a fart noise. I rolled my eyes. Isn't he supposed to be a grown up? The crowd all cheered though. Aang stepped forward with a determined look on his face.

"Give me the chance to clear my name!" He pleaded. The fancy-hat, I'm gonna assume he's the mayor, just looked at Aang condescendingly.

"The only way to do that is to stand trial." He explained with a glare. Aang just stood firm.

"I'll gladly stand trial." Completely ignoring my 'abort' hand signals next to him. I get the feeling this 'trial' won't exactly be fair.

"You must follow all our customs, including paying bail."

"Fine."

* * *

1 Hour Later:  
"How was I supposed to know that they don't accept water tribe money?" Aang questioned helplessly as he stood behind bars. They had placed some weird wooden thing that locked in his hands and head. Katara just put her hand over her eyes with a sigh as Sokka leaned against the wall with an exasperated look on his face.

"Why the heck did I get chained up with you?" I complained with a groan. I had been cuffed and shoved behind the bars after Aang with the mayor muttering things like 'murderous' and 'fire bender' under his breath. Now I couldn't even go pick pocket people for Aang's bail.

"So what, a few people don't like you. There's a whole nation of fire benders that hate you! C'mon, let's bust you out of here." Sokka offered with a grin. Aang just looked down at the floor sadly.

"…I can't."

"Sure you can! Just a little fwooooooo, swish swish swish, air bending SLICE! And we're on our way." Sokka insisted, doing ridiculous poses with sound affects included. Katara looked at him with a raised eyebrow before turning back towards Aang.

"I think what master swish here is trying to say, is that you're supposed to be out there saving the world. You can't do that from in here." She stated. I nodded in agreement.

"Just say the word Aang, and I'll happily melt this whole place down." I said with a grin. Katara gave me a pointed look.

"Just the jail cell, right?"

"Sure, sure." I waved her off with a smirk. She sighed before we turned towards Aang who looked up.

"I can't be out saving the world when people think I'm a murderer either. I need you guys to help prove my innocence." He pleaded. I gave him a look.

"Aang…has it crossed your mind that maybe Kyoshi did actually kill the guy? Avatars have fought in wars before, it's not the most peaceful job. But, that doesn't mean that you yourself are a murderer." I insisted with a shrug. Aang just shook his head.

"The Avatar's job is to keep peace. Murdering people wouldn't accomplish that." He said determinately. I just sighed. Aang did grow up in the air temples after all; he was raised on the principle of peace and non-violence. I could see that Sokka and Katara had similar thoughts as well, but Aang probably wasn't in the mind to listen. Only thing they could do was what he asked.

"Well, even if we were to try, how could we prove your innocence? The crime happened over 300 years ago." Sokka said with a shrug. Aang looked off to the side for a second before a devious smirk overtook his face.

"That's okay Sokka, for some reason I thought you were an expert detective." Oh, nice move Aang. Stroking Sokka's ego will get you far.

"Well, I guess I _could_ be described as such." Sokka agreed, puffin out his chest with a smirk. Katara caught on and nodded.

"Yeah, back home he was famous for solving the mystery of the missing seal jerky." She said almost sarcastically.

"Everyone wanted to blame it on the polar leopard, but I figured out it was old man Jarko wearing polar leopard _boots_. You see, a real live polar leopard would've left much deeper tracks." He went on to explain, completely missing Aang wilding mocking him from in the cell. I figured now was not the best time to mention that I was actually the one to steal the seal jerky.

"So, you'll help me with my case?" Aang asked with a wide grin. Sokka just rubbed his chin before posing dramatically.

"First, I'm gonna need new props." He stated with a serious look in his eyes. I just shared an amused look with Katara before Sokka suddenly dashed off.

"When we get Aang out, I'm sure they won't try to keep you here Kai. If they do, you have my full permission to burn the cell down." Katara stated with a smile. I smirked.

"Yay, permission." Not that I really needed it. You know, I realize I'm becoming something of a pyromaniac. Eh, probably comes with the bending. Suddenly Sokka reappeared, wearing a ridiculous hat might I add.

"Alright, I'm ready." He announced, reaching to the back of his hat to pull some sort of magnifying eye piece to the front. He stared at Katara as she began to laugh at him.

"What?" He questioned. I groaned.

"Please, can I burn it?"

* * *

Aang and I turned towards each other as soon as my siblings left. I just shrugged.

"So…what now?" I questioned. I wasn't really sure what you're supposed to do in prison. Sure I had been imprisoned before, but I had more distractions there. Suddenly, the rattling of chains drew our attention over to a darker corner of the cell that was covered in shadows. I could make out the figure of a man as he stood up.

"Bald head…nice tattoos." He suddenly rushed us, making me yelp and hug onto Aang as the chain collar around the man's neck barely stopped him from reaching us. He too was bald and had a snake tattoo wrapping around his torso.

"You're gonna fit in real well around here kid. The girl…not so much." He added, sending me an unimpressed look. I glared at him, rolling up my sleeves as I took a step forward. Aang hurriedly clasped the back of my shirt with his hands desperately.

"Come say that to my face you bald-headed, lame-tattooed, smelly little-Mmph!" The rest of my sentence was muffled behind Aang's hand as I waved my fist angrily at our cell mate. He just stared at me for a second before letting out a loud guffaw.

"Hah, maybe you'll be more entertaining than I thought." He chuckled. I just huffed. Darn right I am. How dare he insinuate that I not fit in with the other prisoners. He waved us over to the other side of the cell where I saw more people. They were sitting around a fire, each shackled in some way. I sat down next to Aang as the man sat across from us.

"So, what are you two in for?" He questioned. Aang just pointed at his arrow with a sigh.

"Being the Avatar."

"Being a fire bender." I added with a shrug, producing a small white flame with my hand. Instead of recoiling in shock or horror, the prisoners just looked impressed. One of them even whistled appreciatively.

"Nice flame girly, mine's just the normal red kind." One of the guys stated, waving his hand out to produce a small flame as well. I smiled and lifted my hand for a high-five.

"Ay, fire bending buddies." I announced cheerfully. He just chucked before slapping his hand against mine. These guys seemed pretty cool.

* * *

"I'm sure that girl you're talking about will come around." The snake-tattoo guy assured Aang with a grin. We had all been talking for a few hours and had somehow gotten our way to the topic of love. Aang had shared his woes about my sister and her apparent disinterest.

"You really think so?" He questioned, pulling his head and hands out of the wooden collar thing he had on. They really need to up the security around here. Not that I was complaining. I similarly slipped my hands out of my cuffs.

"Katara's at that weird stage in life where she is strangely attracted to bad boys Aang. Don't worry, I can totally see her falling for you when she gets past that and realizes that she deserves a good guy." I added, patting his shoulder as he sent me a grateful look.

"Yeah, you're a catch. You're smart, funny, handsome, plus you're the Avatar." Snake guy said with a wave of his hand. I was starting to think _this_ guy had a crush on Aang.

"You guys are the best." Aang announced with a smile. The man sitting next to me, who was burly and had a scar running across his eye, looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel." He sniffled, wiping a tear away. I patted his arm in comfort. What a giant teddy bear. Snake guy turned his head towards me next.

"What about you? Anyone special in your life?" He questioned with a raised brow. I just chuckled and shook my head.

"Nope, not even a little bit. I don't know, I guess I've just never met the right person." I explained with a shrug. I noticed Aang laughing behind his hand next to me and shot him a look.

"What?"

"I was just remembering that time in the town a few weeks back." He chuckled. I huffed, crossing my arms.

"Okay, I still think you're all crazy. I think I'd know if someone was flirting with me." I stated indignantly. Aang just laughed harder.

"You kidding? That girl could not be more obvious! Even Sokka noticed, and I'm pretty sure he's the king of oblivious." He insisted. I just rolled my eyes, shoving Aang into the dirt next to us before turning back towards the rest of the gang.

"Yeah, so no love story from me."

* * *

"Kai, wake up! Katara and Sokka are back." Aang said, shoving my shoulder. I groggily opened my eyes and turned towards him with a yawn.

"About…time." I mumbled out, shakily getting to my feet and trotting over to the cell door. The two were standing outside next to the mayor.

"Honorable mayor, we've prepared a solid defense for the Avatar. We did an investigation and found some very good evidence." Katara announced. The mayor just let out a scoff.

"Evidence? Hmph. That's not how our court system works." He announced haughtily. I groaned. I had a feeling this wouldn't be easy.

"Then how can I prove my innocence?" Aang questioned with wide eyes. The mayor leaned closer to the cell bars, a smug look on his face.

"Simple. I say what happened, then you say what happened, and then _I_ decide who's right." He explained. I gaped at him.

"That has got to be the most corrupted, self-absorbed, idiotic thing I have ever heard." I grumbled, glaring at the mayor. Who put this guy in charge?

"That's why it's called justice, because it's just us." The mayor added, before walking away with a deranged laugh. We all just gaped after him in shock and anger before I raised my hand.

" _Now_ can I burn the whole place down?"

"Very tempting…"

" _Sokka!"_

* * *

"We all loved Chin the Great, because he was so great. But, then the Avatar came along and killed him! And that's what happened." The mayor said, before walking off with a grin. Literally, that's all he said. What is wrong with this government that allows for that to be a decent argument?

Everyone had gathered at the site of Chin's murder for the hearing. I sat next to Katara and Sokka, still with my handcuffs on as I watched Aang step up next.

"Don't worry Aang, just remember the evidence." Sokka whispered. Aang just looked off to the side, practically sweating.

"Right…the evidence." He muttered, not sounding too sure. Uh oh, did we make sure to test Aang on all this?

"So, everyone, I'm about to tell you what really happened using facts! Fact number one…I have very large feet!" Well, he was already botching this. I smacked my forehead as Aang pointed to his very small feet.

"And…the temple matches the statue! I was also in a painting at sunset…There you have it! I'm not guilty." He ended with a grin. I just covered my eyes with my hands, shaking my head back and forth. _Why why why why why why why why…_

* * *

"Mayor Tong, I'd like to bring one more witness to the stand." Katara called out. I was basically in a fetal position, groaning in my seat. Aang was gonna die today.

"I told you! There's only the accused and I! You can't call any witnesses." The mayor shouted indignantly.

"This isn't just any witness, I'm calling forth Avatar Kyoshi herself!" Katara announced, stepping to the side to reveal…Aang, in a dress…with a lot of make up on.

"What're you doing?" Sokka questioned as she sat next to us. She just shrugged.

"Kyoshi is Aang's past life, maybe wearing her stuff will…I dunno…trigger something?" She explained, basically grasping at straws. Aang peeked his face out from behind the metal fan.

"Hi everybody, Avatar Kyoshi here." He said, using the most feminine voice he could, which still didn't do much. The mayor angrily stalked forward.

"This is ridiculous! I, the mayor, find the Avatar to be -!" He was cut off as a tiny tornado suddenly formed around Aang. The wind began to blow crazily as the sun seemed to darken. Just as quickly as it had formed, the tornado around Aang disappeared, leaving the real Kyoshi in his wake.

"I killed Chin the Conqueror."

…Well, I guess I was right? Kyoshi just went on to explain how Chin had been a horrible tyrant and was attempting to take over her home land. She split her land off from the mainland and created Kyoshi Island. Honestly, this Chin guy sounded like the weaker, earth version of the Fire lord.

Immediately after Kyoshi had explained her actions, a large gust of wind formed around Aang again before revealing the small boy in Kyoshi's place. Katara quickly ran forward to catch him as he fell in exhaustion.

"What…what happened?" He muttered out, disorientated. The rest of us just shared a look before Katara spoke up.

"Well, you kind of…confessed. Sorry." She grimaced. Behind her, the mayor stood up angrily, brushing off his robes.

"I pronounce the Avatar, guilty! Bring out the wheel of punishment!" He called out. The wheel of punishment? That couldn't be good. Some men brought forward a wheel that depicted horrible deaths on almost every segment.

"The accused will now spin the wheel to decide his punishment." A man announced, stepping back to allow Aang access. He looked at the wheel hesitantly before walking towards it.

"I said that I would face justice, and I will." He determined. I groaned. How would letting himself get killed solve anything? As Aang spun the wheel, the crowd began to shout out different outcomes.

"C'mon, torture chamber!"

"Eaten by bears!"

"Razor pit!"

"These people are downright insane…" I stared in horror. We all watched in trepidation, until the wheel landed on an image that depicted a man in a pot.

"It's decided, he will be boiled in oil."

"You guys are barbaric!" I shouted out. Seriously?! Who would ever do that? And these people claim to be above the fire nation. My protests were drowned out by the cheers of the crowds. Suddenly, a small object was through into the center of the square. My eyes widened as I recognized it as a bomb.

"Everybody, get down!" I shouted, grabbing Katara and Sokka's shoulders and forcing them down just as the bomb exploded. I waved the smoke out of my face and turned towards where it had come from. The rhino riders from before were standing at the top of the stairs, smirks on their faces.

"We've come to claim this village for the fire nation! Show us your leader so we can…dethrone him." The Mohawk guy said with an evil smile, making it very clear that he had a rather permanent way of dethroning. One of the men in the audience immediately pointed out the mayor.

"There he is!" He announced. Wow, not surprised at the lack of loyalty here. Immediately the mayor hid behind the wheel of punishment.

"You, Avatar, do something! Stop those rhino riders!" He pleaded. Aang just send him a look.

"Gee, I would love to help. But, I'm supposed to be boiled in oil." He stated sarcastically. The mayor grabbed the wheel, turning it so that it landed on community service.

"There! Community service. Now, serve the community and get rid of those rhinos!" He shouted, not even saying please. Aang just smirked before dashing forward to deal with the first rider. I quickly shook the cuffs off my wrists before launching myself towards the other riders using a jet of fire. Flipping midair, I planted both feet on the chest of one rider, quickly kicking him off his ride before using the momentum to dodge an arrow.

"Rough Rhinos, into the village!" The leader announced angrily. They all started destroying buildings and lighting things on fire. I quickly jumped onto the roof to put out what fires I could, but a chain wrapped around my leg and pulled me down. I grunted as I hit the floor before turning to see one of the riders smirking at me. Suddenly Katara appeared, freezing the guy in place before whipping his rhino with water. The animal yipped and ran away just as I loosened the chain off my leg.

"Thanks!" I quickly shouted at Katara before running off to finish off the fires. I looked around a corner and saw Sokka having a lovely reunion with his boomerang.

"Boomerang! You always do come back!" He cheered tearfully, completely missing the man aiming an arrow at him from behind. I launched myself at Sokka and tackled him out of the way just as the arrow zipped past us. Bringing my hands together, I formed a blade of fire as I charged the archer. I slid under his rhino, cutting his saddle as I got to the other side. He yelped as he fell to the side. His head hit the ground knocking him out instantly.

I walked over to Aang who was standing in front of the unconscious form of the Mohawk guy. Aang had, thankfully, removed the dress but still had the makeup on for some reason. I grabbed Katara's water pouch and poured some in my hand before smacking it on Aang who grunted in protest.

"Wipe that off please. You look girly enough without it."

* * *

"We shall now celebrate a new Avatar's day, to celebrate how Avatar Aang saved our village from the rhino invasion!" The mayor announced happily as the people cheered. These people had a weirdly quick change of heart. The mayor handed each of us little bowls, containing what appeared to be mini-dough versions of Aang. This was disturbing on so many levels.

"What's…this?" Sokka questioned, holding one up.

"It's our new festival food! To celebrate the day the Avatar was _not_ boiled in oil!" The mayor explained happily, staring at us as he waited for us to eat it. Katara lifted one up dubiously, watching as it sagged.

"Happy Avatar Day…" She stated with false positivity, sticking the whole thing in her mouth. I grimaced as I lifted up one myself. Quickly heating my hand, I toasted it just as I tossed it in my mouth. Hm…not too bad. I repeated the process with the next one.

"This is by far, the worst town we've been to." Sokka announced sullenly. I toasted a dough-Aang in my hand and handed it to him, patting his shoulder sympathetically as he chewed on it.

"I fully agree. Pretty sure everyone here is a sadist."

* * *

It wasn't until later that night, as we were flying away on Appa that I realized something. I hadn't heard from Vayu and Agni all day. Quickly feeling through my mind, I realized they weren't there at all at the moment. I frowned in thought. I wonder if something was up. It wasn't like them to not want to watch every little thing I do, as creepy as it is. I just thought about it for a few more moments before shrugging. Eh, I'm sure it's nothing. They'll probably be back to bothering me tomorrow.

* * *

 **The End! That's a wrap to chapter 24. Again, I apologize for such a late post. The next one should come quicker as I'm really excited for Toph.**

 **Next Chapter: The Blind Bandit**


	25. Chapter 25: The Blind Bandit

**Chapter 25: The Blind Bandit**

 **Here it is! The long awaited meeting with Toph. Sorry for the wait again, but at least it wasn't half a year again. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!  
**

* * *

 **UPDATES:** **  
Review Responses have been moved to the bottom of the chapter.**

 **Life With Kai has two chapters in it now, go check it out! Review or PM me with more requests.  
**

* * *

"Hm…It's pricey. But, I _do_ like it." Sokka mumbled as he examined the purse- I mean, bag. We had stopped at another earth kingdom village to resupply and hopefully spot any potential earth bending masters for Aang, who was still wearing the straw hat. Katara patted Sokka on the shoulder with a smile.

"Then you should get it, you deserve nice things." She added helpfully. We had been at this stinking market for 15 minutes already just staring at this bag. It was a green, of course, purse thing with the earth kingdom symbol on the front.

"I do…but, no. It's too expensive. I shouldn't." He weakly protested, turning his back to the bag. I groaned and grabbed Aang and Katara by their arms. I pulled them away with me as I walked away.

"Then don't." Katara stated bluntly over her shoulder at him. I could hear him beginning to trudge after us before suddenly turning around.

"You know what? I'm gonna get it!" He announced. I rolled my eyes. He was the most indecisive person ever.

"All this for a purse?" I grumbled.

" _Manly Handbag._ " Sokka insisted, sending a glare my way as he paid the shop keeper.

"Whatever." My sarcasm was interrupted as some random guy suddenly appeared over my shoulder. I yelped and hid behind Katara as he gave us a smirk.

"Pst, hey you kids like earth bending? You like throwing rocks? Try Master Yu's Earth bending Academy." He insisted, handing us a little coupon before disappearing again. I thought for sure he was gonna try to sell us shady stuff like drugs or whatever.

"Hey, this coupon gives the first lesson for free." Aang announced, flipping the piece of paper over to read it. I hummed in thought as I looked at the picture of Master Yu.

"…He looks old." I stated simply. Katara ignored me as she put her hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Who knows, maybe this Master Yu is the earth bending master we've been looking for."

* * *

As Aang went to go try out his earth bending lesson, I went off to a secluded square to try and meditate. I still hadn't heard from Vayu or Agni. I was starting to get a little worried. Sitting down, I crossed my legs and closed my eyes to concentrate.

" _Vayu? Agni? You guys here?"_

…

…

" _AGNI I STARTED DATING SOMEONE!"_

" **Who dares try to corrupt my Kai?!"**

" _Oh, so now you respond? And I'm not dating anyone by the way. Geez, your response is way too predictable now..."_

" **Oh good, I don't have to kill anyone."**

"I apologize for our absence lately Kai. We've been…making preparations in the Spirit World."

" _Preparations? For what? Do you guys have festivals over there or something?"_

" **It's nothing you need to worry about. But, we will need to be absent every once in a while. The preparations are taking a lot of our energy right now."**

" _Oh, okay. I'll just update you guys on what's been up whenever you pop in. Speaking of, time to bring you up to date."  
_

* * *

 **"Those villagers did what now?!"**

" _I know, pretty insane right?"_

"It shames me to think of how little some people have progressed over the years."

" **They're lucky Kyoshi was the only one to show up! If I had been there, it would be all flames and ash by now!"**

"…For once, I wouldn't stop you."

* * *

 _"Okay, pretty sure I heard Aang scream, so I think his lesson is over."_

" **Alright, have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do!"**

"That doesn't leave a whole lot out…"

The spirits continued to banter as their voices faded out of my head. I smiled to myself as I stood up and brushed the dirt off of my clothes. They never change. Stretching my arms above my head, I let out a groan as I went back over to where Aang had just walked out of the academy.

"Eh…I don't think he's the one." Is all he said, shaking dirt out of his ear. I don't think I even want to know what happened. Our attention was drawn over to the entrance as two teenage boys stepped out.

"-the Boulder is gonna win back the belt at Earth Rumble VI!" One of them stated. I stared at his hair. It looked like someone had taken a grey pile of grass and just clumped it on the center of his head.

"He's gonna have to fight his way through some of the best earth benders in the world to even have a shot at the champ." The other one countered. Aang immediately brightened up and ran over to them.

"Excuse me, but where is this earth bending tournament held?" He asked politely. The two boys just stared down at him.

"It's on the island of Nunya. Nunya business!" Grass head shouted rudely. They laughed at Aang as they walked away smugly.

"Hah, Nunya business…I gotta remember that one!" Sokka chuckled. I glared at him and smacked his arm.

"Ow!"

"Be nice." I glared. Katara just patted Aang's shoulder with a smile.

"Don't worry, I got this." She announced before running after the two boys. I had the feeling she wasn't going to use her 'feminine charms' for this one. Dang, I wish I could join in. But the people here probably wouldn't think I was on their side if I fire bended all of a sudden.

"What was I thinking?! I don't need a new bag! Why did you let me buy this?" Sokka exclaimed. He dumped the bag onto the floor with a hmph and turned away from it. Momo happily jumped into the bag, curling up.

"Looks like Momo likes it." I said, petting the lemur's head. Suddenly Katara ran back over to us with a triumphant smile.

"Are you ready to find an earth bending teacher? Cause we're going to Earth Rumble VI!" She stated happily. Aang just stared at her with wide eyes as Sokka attempted to relinquish the bag from Momo.

"How'd you get them to tell you?" Aang questioned.

"Oh, a girl has her ways…" Katara explained innocently, smiling of to the side. The boys just shrugged before beginning to walk away. I leaned over to Katara.

"You water bended them, didn't you." I whispered with a smirk. She just winked at me making me laugh. I held up my hand for a fist bump.

* * *

"Hey, front row seats! I wonder why no one else is sitting over here." Aang said as we sat in the empty section. The tournament was taking place basically hidden within the mountain. The entire side of the stadium we were on was empty. Suddenly a giant boulder crashed right next to me, making me jump onto Sokka.

"Guess that's why." He stated simply, prying my off with his arm. We looked to the center of the stage and saw a very muscular man make quite the entrance, sending boulders everywhere.

"Welcome, to Earth Rumble VI! I am your host, Xin Fu!" He announced, pumping his fist in the air. Katara sighed loudly.

"This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other." She grumbled, looking at her nails in disinterest.

"That's what I paid for." Sokka agreed with a giant grin.

"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win!" Xin Fu added before launching himself over to a podium out of the way. Two contestants walked onto the stage next. One was insanely muscled; the other was just insanely…big.

"Round one, the Boulder vs. The Big Bad Hippo!" The crowd cheered for the contestants.

"Listen up Hippo! You may be big, but you ain't bad. The Boulder's gonna win this, in a landslide!" Boulder announced. Why was he speaking in third person? The Hippo guy glared angrily.

"Hippo mad!" He exclaimed. Okay, why did all these guys talk weird? Suddenly Boulder launched a bunch of rocks at Hippo, hitting him. But Hippo simply shook it off, even chewing some of the rocks. These guys are insane! Hippo started to jump up and down which caused the entire stage to rock.

"Incredible! The Hippo is rocking the boat!" Xin Fu commented. Boulder almost fell off, but at the last minute bended a slab of earth behind him and through it at Hippo, hitting him square in the back. Lifting his hands above his head, I watched in awe as Boulder lifted Hippo on a pile of rocks into the air. He threw his hands forward to send the Hippo off stage.

"Boulder wins the match!" Xin Fu announced. The crowd went wild as the Boulder lifted his arms in victory. Katara looked over at Aang.

"What about the Boulder? He's got some good moves." She shrugged.

"I dunno…Bumi said I would need a teacher that listened to the earth. This guy just listens to his big muscles. What do you think Sokka?" We looked over at my brother, just to see him screaming like the rest of the crowd. I gave him an unimpressed look.

"Yeah, I don't think we're gonna get anything intelligent from him." I stated simply.

"What about you? What do you think Kai?" Aang questioned me next. I just shrugged.

"It's really up to you Aang. If you meet the right person, I'm sure you'll know."

* * *

The rest of the tournament basically went as the Boulder dominating everyone. I think Sokka found his new hero. I smacked him multiple times to try and make him chill, but I think he's a lost cause. Finally, it was time for the championship battle.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The Boulder vs. your champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced, pointing at…a young girl? She looked about my age. Sweet. Girl power!

"I'm voting for her!" I exclaimed loudly. Sokka looked at me like I killed his pet dog.

"She can't really be blind, it's just part of her character, right?" Katara asked with a frown. Looking closer, I could see that her eyes were slightly clouded, looking nowhere in particular.

"I think she really is blind, look at her eyes." I explained.

"I think she is, goin down!" Sokka suddenly shouted right next to me. I elbowed him in the gut and ignored his grunt of pain as the match began.

"The Boulder, feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl." Boulder announced. The Blind Bandit just smirked.

"Sounds to me like you're scared Boulder!" She teased mockingly.

…

…

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and is ready to bury you in a rockalanche!" Boulder shouted, pounding his fists together.

"Whenever you're ready, the Pebble!" She replied before laughing almost evilly. Hm…I liked this girl. Boulder went to take a step forward as the Bandit just stood there, almost…waiting. Suddenly, as Boulder went to take another step, Blind Bandit kicked her foot forward. The rocks shifted under Boulder's foot just as he stepped down, causing him to be forced into a split position. He let out a squeal of pain as I began laughing hysterically at Sokka's devastated expression. With one more swipe of her hand, Blind Bandit sent the Boulder flying out of the ring.

"Wow, that was the fastest round yet." I whistled.

"Your winner, and still reigning champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced as the girl just smirked. Katara stared in awe.

"How did she do that?" She whispered out. Aang stared at the girl in equal amounts of awe.

"She waited…and she listened." He smiled. My eyes widened. Did that mean he was gonna recruit her as his master? Well, I was all for it. Xin Fu jumped down into the ring, a bag of money in his hand.

"To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering this sack of gold pieces to anyone that can defeat the Blind Bandit!" He shouted. His offer was met with silence.

"What? Does no one dare to face her?!" Just as he said that I felt a gust of wind next to me, signaling Aang's departure.

"I will!" He announced, walking onto the stage. Xin Fu jumped back out of the ring as Sokka cheered wildly next to me.

"Wooo! Go Aang! Avenge the Boulder!" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. He got weirdly attached to that Boulder guy. My attention was drawn back to the stage as the Blind Bandit spoke.

"Do people really want to see _two_ little girls fighting out here?" Ohhh, burn Aang. Aang just held up his hands in surrender.

"I don't really want to fight you, I want to talk." He insisted. Immediately Sokka booed at him.

"No talking!" Leading to Katara and I smacking him.

"Don't boo at him!" Katara scolded. I just nodded, focusing back at the match. Aang went to step forward when suddenly the ground beneath him shot up. He floated gracefully to the side using air bending. Though, to anyone else it probably just looked like fancy foot work. Blind Bandit seemed lost for a second before zeroing in on Aang once he touched the ground. Huh, so she can tell where people are using the earth.

"Someone's light on their feet. What's you're fighting name? The fancy dancer?!" She mocked. Aang just shrugged sheepishly. He just continued to evade her shots until finally she launched a giant boulder at him. He spun around, launching a blast of wind out of his hands which sent both the boulder and girl flying off the ring. There was a shocked silence before everyone began to cheer crazily. I briefly saw Aang run after the girl, but she just bended a path into the mountainside and closed it behind her.

Sokka, Katara and I joined Aang down on the ring. Xin Fu was there holding the champion's belt and the sack of gold which Sokka immediately grabbed.

"Way to go champ!" He cheered, throwing his arm around Aang. Aang just looked at the ground sullenly as I patted his arm.

"Don't worry Aang, we'll find her."

* * *

"You know, now I'm actually really glad I got the bag. It matches the belt perfectly!" Sokka exclaimed. I have no idea why _he_ was the one wearing the belt. Then again I have no idea why Sokka does anything really.

"I am so relieved…" Katara stated, very sarcastically.

"If we're gonna find the Blind Bandit, the Earth bending academy would be a good place to start." Aang stated simply, walking through the entrance. Inside we found the two teenagers from before punching jars of sand. They looked up at us and immediately glared.

"Oh great, you again." Grass head sneered. Katara just took one threatening step towards them, making them shriek and cower.

"That's what I thought." She smirked. The boys looked at Aang suddenly with wide eyes.

"Hey, you're the kid who beat the Blind Bandit!" They said in awe.

"We need to find her. Do you know where she lives?" Aang questioned. I don't think this girl was advertising her living area, but we could try.

"The Blind Bandit's a mystery. She shows up to fight, then disappears." Grass head explained. Katara just stepped up to the other guy.

"You're not telling us everything!" She pointed in his face. He leaned back with terrified eyes.

"No no! I swear it's the truth! No one knows where she goes, or who she is!" He insisted. I pulled Katara back.

"Easy there tiger, I think they're telling the truth. I doubt this girl would really give out information. Lots of defeated fighters would probably want revenge or something. The Blind Bandit's probably just an alter ego." I agreed. Aang snapped his fingers.

"In my vision, the girl was wearing a white dress and had a pet flying boar. Know anyone like that?" He asked. The boys thought for a second before answering.

"Well…the flying boar is the symbol of the Beifong family. They're the richest people in town. Probably the whole _world_." Grass head explained. The other guy popped out from where he was hiding behind his friend.

"Yeah, but the Beifong's don't have a daughter." He protested. Aang just shrugged.

"Flying boar is good enough for me. Let's go check it out!" He stated as he ran out of the academy. Katara glared at the boys as she walked out.

"Hey, I'm watching you." She threatened. Sokka smirked at the guys.

"Water tribe…" He whispered, walking out next. I rolled my eyes as I followed him.

"Right, like _you_ did anything…"

* * *

"That's the flying boar! Let's go check it out." Aang whispered as we looked down at the luxurious estate. Wow, these people were loaded. There was a stone wall surrounding the area with guards posted around. We quickly snuck to the back. Aang and I bended ourselves over the wall while Katara and Sokka climbed. I had only taken a few steps forward, when the ground suddenly burst beneath me, sending all of us flying. Katara, Aang, and I landed in bushes while Sokka hit the floor.

"What're you doing here twinkle toes?" A familiar voice demanded. I looked over to see the Blind Bandit, in a white dress, standing in front of Aang.

"How did you know it was me?" He questioned, climbing out of the bush. Sokka glared from the floor.

"Don't respond to twinkle toes! It's not manly!" He protested. I threw a stick at him as I stood up myself.

"Right, like you're the master of manly Mr. Purse guy." I stated, brushing off my top. The girl turned towards Sokka.

"That's a purse? I thought there was something funny." She smirked. Sokka went to argue, but she had already turned towards Aang.

"How did you guys find me anyways?" She questioned.

"Well, this crazy earth king told me I had to find an earth bender who listens to the earth. And then I had a vision inside this magical swamp, where I also met Kai's spirit friends. Then-." Katara cut him off before he sounded _too_ crazy.

"What Aang's trying to say is that he's the Avatar, and if he doesn't master earth bending soon he won't be able to defeat the fire lord." Katara explained. The girl just shoved her hand in front of Katara's face.

"Not my problem." She stated simply.

"Eh, kinda you're problem since the fire lord's trying to, conquer the world and everything." I added with a shrug. She just shot me a glare before beginning to walk away.

"Whatever, just get off my property before I call the guards." She insisted. Sokka went to try one last time.

"Listen, we all have to do our part to win the war. Yours is to teach Aang earth bending." He insisted. She was silent for a moment before suddenly shouting.

"Guards! Guards help!" I immediately ran towards the wall, the rest of the gang following me. We all got ourselves over just as guards ran up to the girl.

"Toph! What is it?" They questioned. So, Toph's her name I guess.

"I…thought I heard something. I got scared." She replied in a very childlike voice. She was completely different to what she had been before. I watched as the guards led her away from the garden.

"I think we threw a bit much at her all at once. Probably a bad idea to ambush her like this." I sighed, sliding down the wall.

"Now what are we going to do?" Katara questioned. I looked over at Aang, who suddenly donned a devious grin.

"Uh oh, do I even want to know?"

* * *

The plan wasn't nearly as crazy as I had assumed. We've done worse. Aang got us into the house using his Avatar status to visit. They had invited us in for dinner even. How nice. I sat down next to Aang and Katara at the table and glanced over at Toph. She did _not_ look happy. One of the servants set a steaming bowl of soup in front of her.

"Blow on it for her, it's too hot." Toph's dad, Lao Beifong, insisted. Wow, a little much there. I think she can blow on her own soup.

"Allow me." Aang, never one to give up a chance to impress, swiped his hand to send a mini tornado right on top of her soup. It blew gently before fading away. The rest of the table, consisting of Toph's parents and Master Yu for some reason, clapped in awe.

"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you in our home." Toph's mom, Poppy, bowed. Sokka was totally ruining the whole decorum thing by stuffing his face with rice.

"Avatar, in your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?" Lao questioned. Aang shifted forward slightly, eyeing Toph.

"I'd like to be able to defeat the fire lord by the end of summer, but I can't do that without finding an earth bending teacher first." He explained, sending her a smirk. She just glared at her soup.

"Well, Master Yu is a fantastic teacher. He's been teaching Toph since she was little." Lao informed, waving at the man.

"Then she's probably a great earth bender! Probably good enough to teach someone el-Ow!" Aang suddenly shrieked, jumping slightly in his seat before glaring at Toph. She just smiled innocently and continued to eat her dinner.

"I've just taught Toph the basics." Yu countered. This guy was kidding, right? Toph was a master, at least! Did they…not know?

"Yes, and sadly due to her blindness, I'm afraid she won't ever become a true earth bender." Lao sighed.

"Ohh, looks like someone's hiding something from daddy." I whispered under my breath. Based on the sharp pain in my foot, I'm assuming she heard that. I grimaced, but managed not to shriek like Aang at least.

"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think-Ah!" Aang was interrupted again as his chair suddenly slid forward, sending his face into his bowl of soup. He glared menacingly at Toph and smacked his face. Another devious smirk formed on his face making me back up slightly. He let out a giant air bending powered sneeze, sending all the food flying at Toph, her mother, and Master Yu. Innocent casualties.

"What's your problem?!" Toph exclaimed, standing suddenly.

"What's _your_ problem?!" Aang joined her. I lifted my hands.

"Okay…we've all got problems." I said as I tried to sit Aang back down.

"Well…Let's move into the living room for desert. Shall we?" Wow, Poppy was not fazed by much was she. We all walked into the living room where trays full of little cakes and deserts were waiting. I sat down to dig in when Lao suddenly spoke.

"So, Avatar is it true that you're traveling with a fire bender?" He questioned with a raised brow. Toph's eyes widened and she immediately turned her head towards our group. I gulped and raised my hand sheepishly.

"That would be me." I nodded. He looked me over with a calculating stare, probably wondering how far to place his daughter from me.

"But, Kai's no threat. She's my friend and she didn't even grow up in the fire nation! She grew up in the South pole with Katara and Sokka." Aang explained, standing up for me. The Beifong's just looked at each other before Lao turned towards me with a slight glare.

"The only reason we are letting you stay in this household is due to the Avatar's trust. Make one misstep and we won't hesitate to remove you from the premises." He stated bluntly. I winced but shrugged.

"Understood, at least you guys aren't arresting me. It's been done before." I sighed. Katara put her hand on my arm with a sympathetic smile as the conversation turned back to the war.

* * *

After dinner the Beifong's had let us stay in one of their rooms. It was really nice. There were huge beds and a window big enough for Appa to stick his head through. Which he did.

"Night Appa." Aang said as he pet the bison's forehead. Glancing over at the doorway I jumped in surprise when I saw Toph. I heard a yelp behind me and saw that Aang had seen her too. He was glaring at her, posing in preparation for battle it looks like.

"Relax! Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?" She offered, shrugging her shoulders. Aang cautiously relaxed his stance and shot me a look. I just shrugged. Toph turned around and waved us over.

"C'mon, walk with me." She called out, beginning to head out the way she came. Aang and I glanced at each other before following her out. We caught up to her and slowed down to walk beside her. She tilted her head slightly in my direction.

"So, fire bender huh?"

"Yup." I shrugged with a grin. She smirked.

"Pretty cool, not as cool as earth though." I sharply turned to her with a glare, opening my mouth to protest when suddenly a wall of earth formed in front of me. I bumped straight into it. Cursing the little brat under my breath, I rubbed my forehead as I heard Aang and Toph laughing.

"You're lucky I'm not allowed to fire bend here…" I grumbled, crossing my arms with a huff as the earth wall lowered.

"About that, I'm sorry about how my dad reacted. You don't exactly seem like someone trying to take over the world." She stated, with a raised brow. I shrugged.

"Eh, who knows. I might put that on my to-do list later on." I smirked, grimacing as Aang elbowed me.

"I'd like to see you try. Katara would knock some sense into you." He countered with a smile. I groaned. Too true. We walked out into the garden as Aang spoke up again.

"Toph, I was wondering something. You're an amazing earth bender, but how do you do it with your blindness?" He questioned as we approached a little stone bridge. She jumped up onto the railing of the bridge as she answered.

"Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing. I see with earth bending. It's…kinda like seeing with my feet. I feel the vibrations and I can see where everything is. You, her, that tree, even those ants." She explained, pointing in a vague direction. I'm assuming that's where the aunts were, but I couldn't see them myself.

"That's awesome. You can see those tiny ants?" I stated in awe as I squinted, trying to see what she could.

"My parents don't get it. They've always treated me like I was helpless…" Toph mumbled. She looked down at the ground sadly. I bet that was hard. It's hard enough believing in yourself sometimes. Having parents that don't even believe in you would make it worse.

"Is that why you became the Blind Bandit?" Aang questioned. She just nodded in reply. "Then why stay here? Why stay when you aren't happy?"

"They're my parents, where else am I supposed to go?" She asked, shrugging helplessly. Aang and I shared a look before smiling.

"You could come with us. We were telling the truth about Aang needing an earth bending master." I offered.

"Yeah, you guys get to go wherever you want. No one telling you what to do, or when to do it. That's the life…it's just not my life." Toph stated simply. I walked up to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

"It could be though." I knew it would be hard to just up and leave her life right now. But, she just really seems unhappy. She shouldn't be held here like some caged animal. Suddenly Toph knelt to the ground, an alarmed look on her face.

"We're being ambushed!" She grabbed both of us by our arms and began to run back to the house. We stumbled to a halt as one of the earth benders from the arena suddenly popped out of the ground in front of us, smirking.

"Well, this is breaking a rule but it's for a good purpose!" I yelled. Swinging my arm out, I launched a stream of fire at the earth bender. He yelped in surprise and quickly brought up a stone wall to protect himself. Just as Aang and Toph were about to join in, metal cages suddenly fell on top of them. I looked behind me in surprise just as a cage fell on me too. The rest of the earth benders and Xin Fu jumped down in front of us. I glared at them heatedly from my cage.

"I think you kids owe me some money."

* * *

"Stop that!" Xin Fu yelled as I shot another blast of fire down at him. I just glared, shooting more at the men down below. The squeal from the Boulder put a smile on my face. Suddenly a rock hit the side of my cage, making me yelp as I was rattled around. We were hanging from the ceiling in our metal cages. We appeared to be back in the Earth Rumble VI arena.

"Come up here and fight me like a man! Or are you too scared you'll get beat up by a couple kids?!" I yelled down, another rock to my cage was my answer.

"You think you're so tough?! Why don't you come up here so I can smack that grin off your face!" Toph added. Looking down, all I saw was Xin Fu glaring.

"I'm not smiling."

"Toph!" I looked to the back of the arena and saw Sokka, Katara, Master Yu and Toph's parents down below.

"Here's your money, now hand them over." Sokka ordered, dropping a bag of coins onto the floor. Master Yu shot his hand forward to send the money over to Xin Fu who waved his arm at Toph's cage. Her cage was slowly lowered and opened once it was on the ground. She quickly ran out of the cage and over to her dad who wrapped a protective arm around her.

"What about Aang and Kai?" Katara questioned. Xin Fu waved out two pieces of paper that had both of our images on it.

"I think the fire nation will pay a hefty price for the Avatar and the fire bender. Apparently Princess Azula herself sent out the bounty for the girl." He announced smugly. I just groaned up in my cage. I knew that meeting with Azula was gonna come back to bite me.

"Now, get out of my ring!" He yelled. I looked down at my siblings and saw them staring nervously at the hoard of earth benders that was gathered in front of the.

"Go, we'll be okay." Aang shouted from his cage. I just stuck my hands out from the bars, giving them a thumbs up. They slowly back away and off the ring as they disappeared from my sight. I felt my cage being lowered and looked out to see the same thing happening to Aang. Somebody grabbed my cage, making me fall to the side as they tilted it over. Suddenly I heard Toph's voice ring out.

"Let them go! I've beat you all before and I'll do it again!" She yelled. I grunted as I was suddenly tossed to the side, landing on the ground harshly. I heard some screams and crashes as I beat on the door of my cage. Katara's face appeared above me and I heard Sokka grunting as he attempted to open Aang's cage.

"Go help Sokka! I've got this." I assured, waving her away. She looked doubtfully down at me before nodding and disappearing to the side. I reached around the top of the cage and felt the latch that held the doors closed. Concentrating on my hands, I heated the metal as much as I could. I could feel it heating up as it turned red under my hands.

"C'mon, just a little more…" I muttered under my breath. I smiled as I felt the latch give way. Punching upwards, I quickly opened the cage and jumped out. Over to my side I could see Aang get released as well. We both turned towards the ring, preparing to fight. But, Sokka just patted my arm and shook his head.

"I think she's got this handled." He pointed. I looked over just as Toph sent the Boulder, Hippo, and some guy swinging on a rope flying out of the ring. The three men crashed onto a pile of earth benders, similarly knocked out. I gaped in awe. Wow, she kicked serious butt!

Turning around, she faced the last earth bender, Xin Fu. He glared at her as he cracked his neck and knelt into a stance. Toph simply spit off to the side. Nice. With a grunt, Xin Fu sent a barrage of rocks flying at Toph. She quickly raised her arms, creating a stone, tent-like wall in front of her for protection.

Once the barrage had ended she kicked one foot forward. Half of her shield went flying towards Xin Fu. He quickly leapt to the side, burying his hand in the ground before chucking a rock at her face. She just side-stepped it before facing him and striking the ground herself. We watched as a wall of dirt headed for him. It slammed into him, sending him flying into the bleachers.

"Woo!" I cheered, pumping my fists above my head enthusiastically. I vaguely saw Sokka faint out of the corner of my eye. Ignoring him, I ran over to Toph with Katara and Aang. I held up my hand for a high five with a smile. Seeing that she wasn't about to reciprocate, I just grabbed her arm myself.

"High five!" I cheered, slapping her hand with mine. She just rolled her eyes, but her lips quirked up in amusement. Remembering earlier, I swiftly punched her arm.

"Hey!" She grumbled, rubbing her limb as I just grinned.

"That's for the rock wall earlier." Fire bending at her probably wouldn't be very nice. Suddenly a rock shot out of the ground, hitting me in the gut and sending me flying backwards. I landed on a still unconscious Sokka with a grunt.

" _That's_ for touching me." She shot back. I lifted my head to glare at her, but she had already turned away with her hands behind her head casually. Katara was stifling laughter and Aang wasn't even trying to. I just groaned in reply.

* * *

"Dad, I know it's probably hard for you to see me like this. But, that obedient, helpless, little blind girl you think I am just… _isn't_ me. I love fighting. I love being an earth bender, and I'm really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me a secret from the whole world. You were doing it to protect me, but I'm 12 years old and I've never had a real friend! Now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me…" Toph finished, looking down at the ground as she stood in front of her parents.

I looked at her sadly. I can't imagine being cooped up somewhere for all my life. I'm honestly surprised Toph didn't say all this sooner.

"Of course it doesn't change the way I feel about you Toph. In fact, it's made me realize something." Lao sighed. She looked up at him with a hopeful gaze.

"It has?"

"Yes…I've allowed you far too much freedom! From now on you are to be guarded 24 hours a day!" He announced, Poppy just nodding from beside him. I gaped. Seriously?! That's what he's choosing to do?!

"But dad-!" Toph's protest was cut off by her mother.

"We're doing this for your own good Toph." She insisted. I stood up with a glare.

"You saw how she took down all those earth benders! She doesn't need protecting! You can't keep her trapped here like she's a prisoner for the rest of her life!" I countered. Two guards suddenly grabbed both my arms and held me back. Lao just glared at me from his seat.

"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out. They've over stayed their welcome." He announced coldly. I flailed in the guard's grips but they held on strong. I glanced over my shoulder at Toph as we walked away. She was looking down at the ground in defeat.

"I'm sorry Toph…" Aang stated as he trailed behind. She just shook her head.

"I'm sorry too…goodbye."

* * *

We stared back at the estate as we loaded Appa up. Sokka sat up on the saddle polishing the belt as Katara, Aang and I stood at the edge of the hill.

"Don't worry Aang, we'll find you a master. There are plenty of great earth benders out there." Katara said as she patted his arm in comfort.

"Not like her…" He responded sadly. I sighed as we turned back to climb up on Appa. It's too bad, I think Toph and I could've gotten along well. At least, for the most part. Just as Aang prepared to lift off, the sound of someone running caught my attention. I turned around and smiled as I saw Toph running up to us.

"It's Toph!" I announced happily.

"What're you doing here?" Aang questioned as she stopped next to us.

"My dad changed his mind! He said I was free to travel the world." I just shot her a look. I'm 99% sure that's not true. But, I'm all for assisting in her escape from this place.

"Well, we better get out of here before your dad changes his mind again." Sokka responded.

"You're going to be a great teacher." Aang insisted gleefully. Now we wouldn't have to start searching again for a new one.

"Speaking of which, come down here. I want to show you something." She stated, a hint of mischief in her tone. Aang ignored all warning signs and jumped down, only to be launched into the air by a rock slab a moment later. I laughed as he hung upside down in a tree.

"And I'll be taking the belt back." Toph added, holding her hand up in the air. Sokka sadly untied the thing from his waist and simply tossed it down at her. Uh, did he forget she was blind? The belt smacked her on the head, knocking her down to the ground with a grunt. I snorted into my hand as Sokka apologized.

"That's what I call karma." I giggled, swiftly ducking under a rock as it flew over my head. She launched herself up into the saddle as Aang got down from the tree. He hopped onto Appa's head and took us up into the sky. I sat next to Toph as she leaned on her arms on the edge of the saddle. She was just gazing contentedly out. I nudged her with my shoulder.

"Welcome aboard. High five?" I questioned, guessing that she probably couldn't see on Appa's saddle. I smiled as I held my hand out in front of her. She smirked as she slapped it with her own.

"Good to be here."

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **Ro781727: The chapter it's referring to is actually one I'm going to post in my side story, Life with Kai. I'm posting the requested chapters up, so it should be the 2** **nd** **one. And I agree, that town really bothered me. I might add that in later, but it depends if I find a good spot to fit it in. Thanks for the review!**

 **Djmegamouth: Yeah, sorry about that! Lost a lot of motivation for a while. But don't worry. Even if it takes me a while to post again, I'm dedicated to finishing out this story. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **OTrizy: Thanks for waiting! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. By the way, the one-shot you requested is up now in Life with Kai.**

 **DannyPhantom619: Dang, that is seriously one interesting idea! Never thought of that. I can't promise I'll pair Kai with her, or that I'll pair Kai with anyone at all. But I do promise to think about it. I agree, Azula really broke my heart at her last scene. It was just so sad. I'm definitely not going to let her story just end like that. Thanks for the review!**

 **LenaMaree: I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope this one did well too. Yeah, Kai and Toph definitely won't always get along, but their dynamic will be interesting to write. Hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

 **Ari: Thanks! I'm really glad you like it. And thanks for supporting me not pairing Kai with anyone right now. I know not everyone is happy with that. Agni and Vayu are definitely in a league of their own. They're fun to write. Thank** _ **you**_ **for reading and reviewing!**

 **Watertribegirl: Here it is! I hope things looked good. Toph was the one that was accepting of Zuko from the start, so I figure she wouldn't have a lot of problems with Kai. I'm gonna try to update sooner next time!  
**

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 **That's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed the meeting between Kai and Toph. I'm excited to continue writing them.**

 **Next time: The Chase**


	26. Chapter 26: The Chase

**Chapter 26: The Chase**

 **Hey guys! Sooo…..It's been awhile! I apologize for that. School, and life, and all that good stuff. Plus I was just lazy and procrastinating. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
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 **Also, note: If any of you guys are artistic, I would love to see your versions of Kai in fanart! Ah, that'd be amazing. Message me if you do!  
**

* * *

"Hey, you guys picked a great camping site. The grass is so soft." Toph stated as she stood in a pile of Appa's…fur. Ah, the beauty of spring. We had stopped at a little spot in the woods to camp for the night. Appa hadn't even been standing in the same spot for more than five minutes and already there was fur everywhere.

"That's not grass Toph…Appa's shedding." Sokka explained as he grabbed his sleeping bag from the saddle. Katara looked down at the ground in disgust.

"Aw, gross!" she shuddered. Aang stood up from where he was on Appa's saddle with a smile.

"It's not gross, it's spring! You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat." He countered in all his monk-iness. Suddenly Appa sneezed, creating a storm of fur over our heads. Huh, kinda looked like snow. In a weird way.

"Appa stop! Ew!" Katara began spitting fur out of her mouth as the bison shook himself next to her. Sokka began gathering a bunch of fur in his hands.

"It's not that bad Katara, it makes a great wig." He announced, showing off the tower of fur on his head. Aang joined in, jumping off Appa's saddle with some new facial hair. How did he even get that to stick there?

"And a great beard!" The two boys began laughing at each other as Katara just rolled her eyes.

"I'm just glad there's another girl in the group because you two are disgusting. And Kai is no help." She added after seeing what I was doing.

"Fur angel…" I giggled, moving my limbs out and in. Toph suddenly stepped by me, catching our attention.

"Excuse me, does someone have a razor? Cause I've got some _hairy_ pits!" She brought her hands up behind her head, exposing bunches of fur she stuck in her armpits. Me and the guys began laughing loudly before Aang caught a whiff of his beard.

He sneezed an air-powered sneeze, blowing himself right into Appa. He fell face first into the ground with some more fur stuck to his back, making him look like a porcupine. We all began laughing even harder, and Katara even giggled a little too.

Would you look at that. We're bonding!

* * *

As the sun began to set we all began to get the campsite ready. Aang quickly got the tents up while Sokka gathered the firewood and Katara got out the food and water. I lit the fire as soon as Sokka piled on the wood and brought over the sleeping bags. Some movement in the corner of my eye drew my attention. Katara had stood up and was walking straight towards Toph who was just relaxing off to the side.

 _Uh oh, my cat fight senses are going off…_

"So, Toph, usually when we set up camp we try to divide up the work." She started off.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm good to go." Toph replied simply. I walked over to Sokka and bumped his shoulder slightly.

"How long do you think they're gonna last?" I questioned quietly. He glanced over to them and just shook his head.

"I'm predicting a full out war by the morning." He sighed. I hoped he was wrong, but I was inclined to agree. I focused back into the conversation as Momo suddenly dropped some berries into Katara's hands.

"See? Even Momo does his fair share." She tried again, trying to get her point across. The point simply went over Toph's head.

"I'm fine Katara, I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire, I have my own food, and look! My tent's all ready." She announced, earth bending a stone tent around her. Katara faltered for a second before narrowing her eyes.

"Well, that's great for you. But we still need-."

"I don't get it! What's the problem?!" Toph cut her off in frustration. The two stared down each other for a second before Katara just huffed.

"Nothing…never mind." She grumbled, stalking away. She began swirling the water in the pots a bit too roughly. I walked over to her as I set down her sleeping bag in our tent.

"Don't be too hard on Toph, she's a little new to this whole teamwork thing. Up until now she's either had everything done for her, or done things for herself." I whispered, kneeling down next to her. She huffed slightly but her shoulder sagged.

"Yeah…yeah you're right. It's just a little frustrating." She sighed. I patted her shoulder before moving to put my bag into the tent.

"Just try to get along." I shrugged. I didn't expect them to be best friends or anything, especially with how their personalities clashed. But, considering we were on a world saving mission our differences would have to be put to the side. I shot a small flame at Toph as my version of goodnight. Hey, she shot a rock back at me so it was a mutual understanding.

I said goodnight normally to the guys before heading inside my tent and curling up in my sleeping bag. A few minutes later a huffy Katara entered in as well.

"So…guessing you talked to Toph again?" I yawned out, rubbing my eyes. She just glared at the ground and promptly crawled into her sleeping bag without another word. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes Katara could be rather stubborn.

Shrugging it off, I just tried to focus on sleep.

* * *

"There's something coming this way!" I was awoken by Toph's shout. I quickly sat up and crawled out of the tent, shaking Katara awake on the way. We all ran over to Toph as she knelt on the ground, feeling it with her hand.

"What is it?" Aang questioned, looking around in alarm.

"It feels like an avalanche, but not." She stated simply, looking confused. Sokka rubbed his tired eyes.

"Your powers of perception are frightening." He muttered out.

"Should we leave?" Katara asked, ignoring our brother. I looked off into the distance with an uneasy feeling in my gut.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather not be here when something avalanche-like arrives." Aang just nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, better safe than sorry."

We quickly packed up camp and loaded back up on Appa. He launched into the air and we all looked back behind us. There was a plume of black smoke rising from some tank-like machine.

"What is that thing?" Katara whispered out. Toph looked rather lost so I tapped her on the shoulder.

"It's like a big, metal, tank think that's coming for us. And there's a giant cloud of smoke rising from it." She let out an 'oh' of understanding as we flew farther from the death machine.

* * *

"Land, sweet land! Well, see you guys in the morning!" Toph announced as she quickly jumped off the saddle. Katara followed after her as me and the guys began unloading stuff.

"Actually Toph, could you help us unload?" She asked gently. She was going for the straightforward approach now. Let's see how this goes.

"Really? You need _me_ to help unload Sokka's funky smelling sleeping bag?" She questioned, looking at Katara with a raised brow. Sokka promptly sniffed the said bag and made a gagging noise. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I told you to buy a new one." I grumbled, grabbing my own bag from the saddle.

"That, and everything else. You're a part of our team now and-."

"Look, I didn't ask you for help with unloading my stuff! I'm carrying my own weight." Toph countered. I felt like now wasn't the best time to mention that Toph was only carrying a single bag anyways.

"That's not the point! Ever since you joined us you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful!" Now that was a bit of an accusation. Toph's only been with us for a day.

"What?! Look here sugar queen, I gave up everything I had to teach Aang earth bending. So don't you talk to me about being selfish!" She promptly sat down and created a tent around her, this time added a stone door. I leant over to Aang.

"Didn't she _want_ to leave?" I whispered. He just shrugged helplessly.

"Sugar queen?! Did you just slam the door in my face?! How can you be so infuriating?!" Katara then proceeded to kick at the walls and door of Toph's abode. Aang and I shared helpless looks as Sokka just grinned.

"Should…we do something?" Aang questioned hesitantly.

"Hey, I'm just enjoying the show." Sokka said in amusement. I rolled my eyes. Of course he would enjoy this. It is rather rare that Katara loses her temper like this, at least at someone rather than us. If I weren't so tired I might think it was funny too.

Aang cautiously walked over to Katara with his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay, you both need to calm down." He insisted. Ohhh, bad move Aang.

"Both? I'M COMPLETELY CALM!" She practically screamed in his face. He immediately backed up like, five feet.

"I-I can see that." He smiled nervously, before stepping away and hiding behind me. I patted his head.

"It's okay, she can't hurt you." I said, a little terrified myself. Katara stalked over to the sleeping bags as the boys nervously joined her. I looked over to Toph's tent and sighed. Might as well. I walked over to the tent and stood right in front of the door, knowing she could see me.

"Yo, can…I come in?" I questioned. There was a moment of silence before the door suddenly shifted back into the ground. Toph was facing away from it as I crawled into the tent. She shut the door behind me as soon as I was in.

"What? Here to call me selfish too?" She huffed angrily. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Katara didn't mean that, she's just a bit sensitive right now. Her pet peeve is when people don't try to help out." I explained with a shrug. We all had our ticks, this was Katara's. Toph blew her bangs out of her face.

"I just don't get what the big deal is! So what, I didn't help unload the stuff. Big whoop." She grumbled. I had the feeling this was more of a rebellious thing than a 'I don't want to help out' thing.

"Katara can be a bit bossy sometimes, but she has good intentions. She just thinks everyone should pitch in to make everyone else's life easier. To be fair Toph, you _do_ only have one bag. It wouldn't be a huge hassle to help with someone else's, right?" she didn't reply to me, but the door behind me opened signifying the end of our conversation. I sighed, but crawled out.

"Just think about it, okay Toph? Goodnight." I waved, as the door closed in front of my face again. In a contest between stubbornness, I really don't know who would win between these two. I walked over to the others and crawled into my sleeping bag.

…

…

…

There was approximately three minutes of silence before Katara just _had_ to speak up.

"The stars sure are lovely tonight, too bad you can't see them Toph!" She yelled. That was a little low. A grunt sounded from the stone tent and I quickly moved out of the way just as it launched Katara into the air. She landed on Sokka with a yelp.

"Hey! How's a guy supposed to get any sleep with all this shouting and earth quaking!" He whined, throwing Katara off of him. Suddenly Toph's tent came down as she looked at us in alarm.

"That thing is back!" She announced. Sokka groaned as he pulled the sleeping bag over his face.

"Well, how far away is it? Maybe we can just get a few minutes of sleep." He mumbled. Looking to the side, I saw a large cloud of smoke that was alarmingly close to us. I sighed and pulled the bag off his face.

"Not this time, c'mon let's go." I pulled him to his feet as we all grabbed our stuff again and climbed back on Appa.

This time, as we flew away I could see more of the machine. There appeared to be some sort of carriage behind it. What was it carrying?

"Seriously, what _is_ that thing?" Katara questioned, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"And how does it keep finding us?" Toph added in.

"That thing is ridiculously fast, there's no way it should've found us so fast." I groaned. Travel by flying bison is much faster than by land.

"I don't know how it found us, but this time I'm gonna make sure we lose it." Aang stated from the front. We watched at the machine grew more distant as we flew away.

* * *

We flew over hills and forests and all the way to the top of a mountain. There's no way they should be able to follow us here. Appa just collapsed on his side, throwing us to the ground.

"Okay, let's not worry about setting up camp. I'm just gonna find the softest pile of dirt and fall asleep." Sokka muttered as he caterpillar crawled away. Katara glared as she pulled her sleeping bag in as a pillow.

"That's good, because Toph wasn't going to help anyways." She huffed. I groaned as Toph retorted.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that _baby_ still needed to be tucked in." She glared back.

"Ugh, shut. Up." I grumbled as I used my fire to heat the ground beneath me. It became nice and warm as I lay on it.

"C'mon guys, there's something after us and we don't know what or who it is." Aang groaned as well.

"It's definitely fire nation, that's all I know." I yawned. There's no mistaking that machinery and menacing look.

"It could be Zuko. We haven't seen him since the North Pole." Katara suggested. Toph's head popped up in surprise.

"Who's Zuko?" She questioned.

"Oh, just some freak with a ponytail that's chased us all over the world." Sokka explained from his spot. Katara shot him a smirk.

"What's wrong with ponytails, ponytail?" She looked pointedly at his hair style. I giggled slightly.

"This is a warrior's wolf tail!" He countered.

"More like a warrior's mistake…" I grumbled. He shot me a glare as I smiled innocently at him.

"Oh shut up. Anyways, whatever was chasing us couldn't have followed us all the way here. So let's all just…sh…" He whispered, collapsing on his back. Momo suddenly jumped on him and began to screech.

"No Momo, sh…sleepy time." He insisted, but Momo only got more rowdy. He ran over to the cliff side and jumped up and down.

"Oh, don't tell me!" Sokka groaned.

"That's impossible! There's no way they could've tracked us." Aang frowned. I ran over to the edge of the cliff, gazing out.

"I can feel it with my own two feet!" Toph assured. Her feet have great distance. I pointed to a plume of smoke that was getting closer.

"And I can confirm her feet! This is witchcraft! How in the world did they follow us?! We flew over a canyon of spikes for goodness sake!" I yelled, gripping my head.

"We should get out of here." Katara said, turning towards Appa. But, Aang stood his ground.

"Maybe we should stay and face them, find out who they are. Who knows, maybe they're friendly." He shrugged.

"Not likely considering our track record." I sighed. The machine stopped a little ways away from us and one of its carriers opened. And lo and behold out came Princess Azula herself and her merry friends. I groaned.

"Why couldn't it have been Zuko?" Things could never be easy for us, could they. The girls were riding on weird lizard things that were surprisingly fast.

"It's those three girls from Omashu!" Katara gasped. We all got down in stances as they approached.

"We can take 'em! Three on four!" Sokka looked at Toph with a raised brow.

"Um…actually there's five of us Toph." He corrected.

"Oh, I didn't count you. No bending and all." I had to laugh at that.

"I can still fight!"

"Okay, three on four plus Sokka." She changed, making him turn red with anger. Toph threw her hands out, sending a wave of boulders at the girls. Their lizards just ran up and over them with deftness.

"I want one of those." I pointed. Katara rolled her eyes and grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards Appa.

"You can think of crazy creatures later, we need to go!" We all climbed into Appa's saddle except for Toph who made a wall of stone in front of the girls to slow them down. Which it didn't do. Azula simply shot lightning at it and blew a hole big enough for them. I _really_ wanted to learn that!

The girl to the left swung her arm out at us, sending arrows our way. And I really wanted to know where she kept all those. Toph launched herself off the ground with a rock and landed in Appa's saddle just as we took off. Blue fire was shot after us as we flew away.

* * *

"I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Omashu." Katara frowned, slumping in Appa's saddle.

"I still think we could've taken them." Toph grumbled. I kinda agreed with her. Aang and I together would probably be able to take on Azula and I'm pretty sure Katara, Sokka, and Toph would be able to handle the other two.

"Are you kidding? The crazy blue firebending and the flying daggers are bad enough, and last time that other girl did something that took my bending away…that's scary." Katara protested, hugging herself.

"Yeah, plus that tank thing that brought them here was still behind them. There was probably some more people in there." Sokka added with a wave of his hand. Toph raised a brow and jerked a finger in my direction.

"Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't our resident fire bender have _white_ fire? At least that's what I've heard." She shrugged. I pumped my fist up in the air.

"Better than Azula's!" I announced proudly. Okay, maybe not but I was tired and I needed the confidence boost. Our attention was drawn to the horizon as the sun began to rise. We've been up all night?

"Oh no, the sun is rising! We didn't get any sleep last night!" Sokka exclaimed, grabbing his face dramatically. I groaned and pushed him to the side.

"Your voice is not helping." I mumbled, face planting into the saddle.

"Sokka, we'll be okay…" Aang added from the front, but the drowsiness in his voice wasn't very convincing.

"Are you sure?! I've never gone without sleep before! What if I fall asleep now when something happens? And something always hap-Oomph!" I cut him off by physically grabbing the back of his head and slamming it into the saddle.

"Shut. Up." I practically growled out. I've said that a lot. But I've had to deal with Katara and Toph's cat fights, the last thing I want to deal with now is Sokka's whining.

"Every time we land those girls find us, so let's just keep flying." Katara suggested. I sighed and crawled over to the side to pet Appa.

"Poor guy…" I muttered. I'm sure carrying us all the time couldn't be fun. I'll have to get him a snack later.

"We can't keep flying forever."

* * *

"So…what's the plan?" Aang yawned out. I just tossed my hand up in the air lazily.

"Dunno…yay." I replied as I turned on my side. Toph sat beside me, completely collapsed against the saddle.

"Too tired to think…" She added.

"We can come up with a plan after a short nap." Katara suggested as she lay on her back. Sokka practically beamed at that thought.

"Yes…sleep." He muttered happily. Just as I closed my eyes, my gut suddenly felt a drop and the wind began to rush upwards. My eyes shot open as my body started to leave the saddle. I yelped and quickly grabbed onto the side.

"What's going on?!" Toph screamed out from beside me. She lost her grip for a moment, but I managed to grasp her hand at the last second.

"Appa fell asleep!" Aang announced in a panic. Appa fell asleep?! Great, we were all gonna die. We all screamed as the ground below us began to get closer and closer. If I was going to die, I wanted to go out in a cool way. Going splat on the ground because our bison fell asleep does not cut it. Suddenly I felt a jerk forward as Appa awoke just in time just as we neared the tops of the trees. I closed my eyes and covered my face with one hand as he flew through some trees before finally sliding to a stop on the ground.

I simply jumped off the saddle and flopped onto the ground. Sweet land! The others climbed off of Appa next, with Katara and Sokka hauling their sleeping bags.

"Okay, we've put a lot of distance between us and those girls. Let's just follow Appa's lead and get some rest." Sokka suggested, tossing his bag onto the ground. I nodded, my face still buried in the dirt.

"Of course, we could've gotten some sleep earlier if Toph didn't have such issues." And Katara just _had_ to speak.

"What?!" Toph screeched. I groaned, plugging my ears.

"I should've just let myself be killed by Azula…" I grumbled. It would be better than this torture. Aang walked up to Toph with his hands raised.

"Alright, alright! Everyone's exhausted, let's just get some rest." He said, trying to calm the earth bender down to no avail.

"No, I want to hear what Katara has to say! You think I have issues?!" She demanded, turning to face my sister. I think they both have issues, but hey. No one was asking _me._

"I'm just saying, maybe if you helped out earlier we would've been able to set up camp sooner. Then maybe we could've gotten some sleep, and then _maybe_ we wouldn't be in this mess!" Katara accused.

"It would've made a five minute difference at best! We would still be hunted down by the crazy ladies." I corrected in frustration. Was I the only one thinking straight?

"You're blaming me for this?!" Toph glared furiously. She began to stalk towards Katara who merely tossed her bag to the side and made a 'come at me' motion. Aang tried to step between them with a nervous smile on his face.

"No she's not blaming you!"

"Oh I'm blaming her!" Katara retorted. Toph took another step forward, merely tossing Aang to the side with ease.

"Listen, I never asked you for diddly-doo da! Besides, if there's anyone here to blame it's sheddy!" she announced, pointing at the bison. Aang looked down at Toph with a shocked and angry look on his face.

"What?! You're blaming Appa?!" Great, now _he_ was all riled up.

"Yeah, you wanna know how they keep finding us? He's leaving a trail wherever we go!" She explained, grabbing a clump of fur to prove her point. Now that she said it, it actually made sense. Why was the blind person the one to figure this out?

"How dare you blame Appa! He saved your life three times today! If anyone's to blame here it's you! You're always talking about how you carry your own weight but you don't, he does! He never had a problem flying when it was just the four of us!" Aang yelled, marching up to her face. I stood up at that point, putting a hand on Aang's chest and pushing him back slightly.

"He never had to fly with no _sleep_ before Aang. One person would hardly make a difference." I retorted and narrowed my eyes at him. But, the damage had already been done. Toph merely looked at us all before stepping to the side and grabbing her bag.

"I'm out of here." She stated simply. Sokka stepped in front of her with his arms out.

"Wait-!" And then he was promptly bended to the side. He stared down at his feet in shock as Toph just marched past him. I groaned and rubbed my forehead in frustration. Turning to Katara and Aang I glared.

"Great, look what you did now. I'm gonna go try to make sure she doesn't completely run off. You guys come find us when you've cooled off." I said coldly, grabbing my bag before running to follow Toph. Sokka looked like he wanted to stop me but just nodded in acceptance when he saw my expression. I heard Katara and Aang vaguely call out to me but I ignored them. I had an earth bender to catch up to.

* * *

"…I know you're following me." I stopped abruptly as Toph's voice rang out from up ahead. Oops, looks like I'm caught. Not that I expected to hide from an earth bender. I jogged to catch up to her and shrugged.

"Eh, figured you might need a traveling buddy." I suggested sending her a smile. She didn't say anything for a second before she started walking again.

"Fine, but I'm not going back." She muttered.

"I wasn't gonna tell you to. They were a bit out of line." I nodded. Toph just snorted.

"A bit? They were blaming all our problems on me!" She glared. I didn't disagree, they were doing that.

"Katara and you are bound to clash. I think it'll just take some time to get used to. Aang wouldn't have snapped if he was thinking clearly, but he's exhausted and Appa _is_ his best friend." I tried to explain their behavior. If Toph continued to travel with us, I had no doubt that there would be many more fights between her and Katara. Hopefully they would just get less malicious.

Toph didn't answer that, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She motioned for me to be quiet as she glanced around. I examined our surroundings, ready to attack at any minute. Toph kicked her foot into the ground and sent a wave of rocks towards a boulder to our right. Dust filled the air as it hit and I heard a man grunt.

"Oh…that really hurt my tail bone." A very familiar voice groaned. My eyes widened and I quickly ran around the boulder.

"Iroh?" I questioned in shock. Sure enough, there was the old fire bender. He was dressed in a green tunic and looked like he had been out in the woods for a while. He turned towards me in surprise.

"Kai? Is that you? Well, what a surprise to see you out here!" He greeted cheerfully, waving at me. I waved back but glanced around nervously. If Iroh was here then Zuko couldn't be far away. Seeing my wary gaze, Iroh merely shook his head.

"Don't worry, my nephew is not around currently." He explained. He smiled, but it looked a bit pained. I just nodded. It wasn't my business where Zuko was. Well, unless he was off attacking Aang.

"You know this guy?" Toph questioned, stepping forward. I nodded as I reached down to help Iroh up.

"Yeah…it's a long and complicated story." I sighed. I really didn't feel like explaining why I was on good terms with the uncle of our enemy. Iroh smiled down at me as he waved his hand to the side.

"It's been a while, why don't we all talk over a nice cup of tea." He suggested. I looked to Toph who merely shrugged before turning to him with a smile.

"Sure, sounds good."

* * *

The smell of tea wafted through the air as Iroh poured out some into cups for me and Toph before pouring himself one. He handed us the cups before sipping lightly from his own.

"So, where are your friends?" He questioned, sending me a look. I groaned at that and rubbed my forehead.

"Probably sulking and being remorseful about now." I smirked, nudging Toph slightly. She nudged me back harder but I saw a small smile on her face.

"Are you traveling with the Avatar too?" Iroh asked Toph this time.

"No."

"Yes." We answered at the same time. She shot me a glare but I just whistled innocently, looking off to the side. Iroh smiled in amusement before just nodded.

"Alright, so you're not. You look a little young to be traveling by yourself." He examined as he leaned back on his palm.

"You look a little old." She retorted and sipped from her tea. He chuckled heartily in response.

"I guess that's true." I sat silently as I watched him. I wonder where Zuko had ended up? If Iroh was traveling alone now, something must've happened.

"I know what you're thinking. I look like I can't take care of myself. You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea." Toph grumbled as she looked slightly to the side. I stared at her. Is that what this has been about? Proving she can take care of herself?

"I wasn't thinking that. I poured your tea because I wanted to, and not because of anything else." Iroh responded with a confused look on his face. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he's one of those people that likes to do _nice_ things for people. Weird…" I said sarcastically with a smirk on my face. The floor beneath me suddenly rose up causing me to fall onto my face with a yelp. I turned a glare on Toph, but she was still facing away sipping her tea. A deep chuckle drew my attention back over to Iroh.

"It seems like you two are quite good friends. Young lady, there's nothing wrong with letting those who care about you do things for you. It doesn't make you weaker. In fact, I think it's what makes people stronger." He explained in his sagely way. Toph seemed to think on this for a second. If anyone could knock some sense into her, it was Iroh.

"So, where is your nephew anyways?" Toph questioned, breaking the silence. I looked over at him as well.

"Yeah, I was wondering where Zuko was."

"Wait, _Zuko_ is his nephew? Evil, pony tail guy?" Toph turned towards me with wide eyes. I nodded in affirmation.

"Shocker I know, I still can't believe they're related." I patted Iroh on the shoulder to emphasize my point. He seemed amused by my statement, but looked sadly down at the ground.

"He really isn't so bad. He's just lost his way at the moment. I'm actually following his trail right now. I know he doesn't want me there right now, but if he does I'll be there when he needs me." His eyes were filled with determination and a fierce protectiveness I recognized from Hakoda's face. Zuko was pretty much a son to him, huh.

I wondered if my birth parents would've looked at me like that. I shook that thought out of my head. I had Hakoda, and for a short while I had Kya too. They might not have been my birth parents, but they had raised me all the same. Blood doesn't determine true family.

"Thank you, for everything. It's…helped me I think." Toph suddenly stated as she stood up. A small smile formed on her face as she swung her bag around her shoulders.

"Does this mean you're going back to the group with me?" I asked excitedly. She shot me a wry smirk and punched me lightly on the shoulder. At least, her version of light. I'm pretty sure a bruise formed immediately.

"Well, I should hear out their apologies after all." She said, making me roll my eyes. Such a heartfelt statement. I stood up as well, but not before a voice rang in my head.

"Kai, this man is quite the spiritual human. He is profoundly wise for one of your world. If you are comfortable with it, I would like to bless him."

" _Bless him? What do you mean?"_

"The blessing of a spirit is a rite of passage into the spirit world itself. Think of it as a pit stop in the afterlife. He may spend as long as he wants there before moving on."

" _Wow, that's pretty cool! I'm sure Iroh would love that."_

" **I approve! I like him. He's my second favorite fire bender! Okay, so here's what to do…"**

I smiled at that. I'm pretty sure I occupy the first favorite. Not to brag or anything. I walked over to Iroh who looked up at me with a slightly confused look on his face.

"Yes Kai? Is there something you wanted to ask?" He questioned with a grin. I shook my head.

"No, it's just…well I think I should just show you." Not waiting for his response I lifted my right hand and placed it on his forehead.

" _ **Oh son of man, blessed by the spirits, may you be granted a long life. May you be granted passage through our lands in the afterlife."**_ The words flowed out of my mouth. It was pretty creepy how Agni and Vayu's voices joined mine in some weird harmony though. The tips of my fingers began to glow against Iroh's forehead.

Once I was done, I slowly lowered my hand from his face as the glow receded. Iroh was staring up at me in shock and I didn't look but I could feel Toph's gaze burning my back.

"What…were those?" Iroh mumbled as he grabbed his forehead in confusion. I merely shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. You'll find out what it was later. Just know that the spirits like you." I explained vaguely as I began to walk away from him. Toph was still staring at me as I walked up to her.

"You…glowed? Freaky." She shook it off pretty easily. I glared at being called freaky, but yeah, it was pretty freaky. A rough hand landed on my shoulder, drawing my attention. Iroh stood behind me with a smile on his face.

"I'm not really sure what just happened, but I am honored nonetheless. Thank you Kai." He gave me a light hug. I patted him on the back awkwardly. Well, glad he liked it. Who knows, maybe when he's in the spirit world he'll get to meet future Avatars or something.

Suddenly a huge explosion sounded in the distance. I spun around to face the sound and saw a large plume of smoke rising.

"Uh oh, that does not look good…" I said, just as a bolt of lightning flashed in the air along with blue flames. "Yup, not good at all." Great, Azula was here. Kill me now.

"Hm, I think we may be heading in the same direction. Where Azula is, the Avatar is. And where the Avatar is, my nephew won't be far behind." Iroh stated as he crossed his arms. I nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you up to save the idiots, Toph?" I questioned, shooting her a smirk over my shoulder. She grinned back at me.

"Definitely, they can't apologize if they're captured after all. Let's go."

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Toph used her earth bending to lead us to where the destruction was coming from. I glanced around as we ran into what looked like an old town. Well, good thing this place was already abandoned. Fire climbed up the walls of most of the houses and they all had large gaps in them.

I yelped as I ran face first into a body. We both fell onto the ground. Luckily, I landed on top of them.

"Ow! What the-Kai?!" Sokka shouted from below me. He looked up at me with wide eyes as I quickly stood back up.

"Hey Sokka! Brought some back up." I jabbed a finger over my shoulder towards Toph. Iroh had run somewhere else to look for Zuko. Sokka sighed in relief.

"Oh good, we could use all the help we can get." Just as he said that Katara ran out of the building across from us, blue flames shooting out after her. Azula was hot on her trail. As soon as the princess exited the building I leapt at her, shooting blasts of flame at her. She ducked on instinct and rolled out of the way.

"And here I was hoping you had some unfortunate accident." She sighed.

"I'm pretty hard to get rid of."

"So I've noticed." Our little pow wow was cut short as Toph shifted the earth under Azula's feet, causing her to fall over with a gasp. She was quick to recover and retreated through an alleyway only to run smack into Iroh's belly. I laughed at that. Belly attack.

I stood next to the others as Iroh and Zuko joined us. We slowly backed Azula into a far corner of a destroyed building. I stood in between Zuko and Toph. This was the first time I had actually seen her a little nervous. She quickly covered the expression with confidence.

"Well, look at this. Outcasts and enemies working together. You've got me. I surrender." She lifted her hands above her head in a placating manner. But her voice was anything but sincere. I saw it in her eyes. Azula was never the type to give up. I stayed ready, and especially keeping my mind open.

…

" **She's heating up Kai. Be prepared."** That was all Agni said, and it was all I needed. As soon as I saw the slightest movement from Azula I followed her line of sight. Iroh. No way was I letting her get him. Without warning I dove past Zuko and stood in front of Iroh, bringing up my hands to redirect her flames. Except, it wasn't flames.

My eyes widened as sparks began to form on her fingertips. Oh crap. I felt a hand grab my waist and tug me suddenly to the side just as the lightening exploded from her fingertips. A boom rang out in the air as I heard shouts of concern from my friends and Zuko as well.

I ignored it all. Pain radiated from my left shoulder. The lightning had clipped me. I gripped it tightly with my right hand in agony. The area still felt hot and it felt like thousands of needles were jabbing me at once.

A lower groan drew my attention to the side. Iroh lay beside me with a similar wound. After examining him I sighed in relief, it wasn't a super bad wound. He was knocked out though. He must've hit his head on the ground after pulling me with him. I collapsed on the ground. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off it was beginning to hurt a lot more now.

A hand gripped my good shoulder and turned me towards them. Katara looked down at me with concern and watery eyes.

"Kai! Are you okay?" She questioned, gently grabbing the hand over my wound and prying it off. I took the moment to examine my own wound. There was a slight divot in my shoulder that showed where the lightening had cut through and cauterized the flesh. The area around it was red and… _yeah, okay I'm done looking at it._

Katara swept some water out of her bag and laid her hand on my injury. I sighed as instant relief filled me. I only let it go on for a minute before pushing her hand away.

"I'm fine, you should go help Iroh now." I said, rolling my shoulder slightly. It still hurt if I moved it, but the worst of the pain was gone. Katara looked like she was going to protest, but cut short at my look. She just nodded and stood up. I looked over to where Zuko sat watching over Iroh. He was gripping his head, face scrunched in agony.

As soon as Katara got closer he turned to glare at her. "Just go!" He growled. Katara hesitated, raising her hands to try and calm him.

"Zuko, I can hel-."

"Leave!" He swept his arm out, sending an arc of fire at her. I glared and quickly stepped up between the two. With a swipe of my hand the flames dispersed around us. I leapt at the prince, managing to take him by surprise. I pinned his arms to the ground and glared down.

"He's hurt, let her help you stubborn idiot. If you don't willingly let us help I'll get Toph to help hold you down." I glared heatedly down, daring him to deny me. We were locked in a staring contest for a minute before he finally looked back down. I smiled in satisfaction and stood back up, waving Katara back over to Iroh.

"Hurry up and help him before Prince Grumpy changes his mind." I got a glare for that, but otherwise no reaction as Katara began to heal Iroh's shoulder. It only took her a few minutes to heal the burn and the gash on his head before she lowered her hands back down.

"Okay, that should help. I couldn't heal all his tendons and muscles because I'm not that advanced yet, but the most he should feel is some soreness now." She explained, dusting off her clothes as she stood back up. Zuko didn't thank her, I didn't expect him to, but he did nod her way. He crawled closer to his uncle as we walked away towards Appa.

"See you again, Zuko." I waved over my shoulder, not looking back to see his reaction as I climbed up onto Appa's saddle. With a yip yip we were back into the air. Instantly Katara's hands were on my injured shoulder making me jump in surprise.

"Hold still." She commanded. Relief filled my shoulder as I sighed in content. I hadn't realized how much it had been hurting until now. We stayed like that for a couple minutes before I felt her remove her hands.

"There, how's that feel?" Katara asked. I rotated my arm a little, smiling when the most I felt was a slight pinch.

"Much better, thanks Katara." I smiled at her before yelping as I was promptly smacked on the back of my head.

"Don't do anything stupid like that again." She added, glaring at me heatedly. I chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of my head.

"Yeah…" Toph nudged my shoulder with her elbow.

"Good save though, how'd you know what she was going to do?" She looked in my direction with a raised brow. I tapped my forehead lightly.

"Got spirits in my head, remember? They give me tips every now and then. Some helpful, others…not at all." She just 'ah'd in understanding as Aang peeked over from where he sat at the front.

"I'm sure glad you guys showed up when you did. Things were getting messy." He shivered at the thought. Katara sighed as she glanced at Toph.

"Yeah, about that. I'm sorry for what I said Toph. You weren't responsible for all our problems and I shouldn't have blamed you like that." She apologized, setting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, I was acting pretty snappy too. I guess I'm just not used to working in a team yet. I'm sorry too Katara." Toph shot her a smile. I jokingly sniffed and grabbed threw my arms over their shoulders.

"Aw, we're bonding! I'm so proud of you guys!" I hugged them tightly. Katara laughed as Toph grumbled some unkind things my way. I pulled Sokka in by the shirt as well, causing him to knock us over.

"Ow! Sokka get off of me!"

"I can't! Katara get your elbow out of my side!"

"This is why I hate group hugs losers!"

"Dying…stuck…at bottom…help!"

"What? Group hug? I'm in too!"

"Aang, no!"

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 **And that's a wrap on chapter 26! Hope you guys enjoyed!  
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 **Review Responses:**

 **Ro781727: Hey, thanks for the idea! I was dabbling with the idea of Kai going with Toph, but after seeing your review I just had to do it. Plus, I wanted some Iroh time as well. Yeah, there's definitely going to be some mediating going on with Kai. Won't always work but she tries. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed the womance (female bromance) in this chapter!**

 **Dannyphantom619: Yessss! I was so excited to write their meeting! Toph's my favorite character. They will definitely get into some shenanigans. I'm planning on a chapter in Life with Kai about some pranks but we'll see how that turns out. Of course, I always like getting ideas from you guys. Even if they don't end up together I will definitely find a way to redeem Azula in the end.**

 **OTrizy: Thank** _ **you**_ **for another review! It's always nice hearing back from readers. Yeah, I'm totally open to femslash. We'll just have to see how Kai develops. I'm a totally oblivious person in real life so I feel like I'll end up writing Kai like that just because I don't know how not to be oblivious. Glad you liked the Kai/Toph interaction! Hope you liked it here too.**

 **Djmegamouth: Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter.**

 **Readingrainbow: Glad you liked the chapter! And surprise, the story is still not dead! It's just very very slow…I'm working on it. Anyways, hoped you like this chapter too!**

 **Sparda: Yeah, I really like Toph's character so I just had to make this friendship. Of course, like with any relationship, there will be ups and downs. We'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Musicromo: Aw, thanks! I'm glad you like them. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'll try my best not to let it lag so much again! Thanks for the patience.**

 **Guest #1: Thank you for your review! It's full of great ideas honestly. Yeah, I won't be doing the crossover because only a few are interested in it and honestly I'm not completely invested in it. I don't think I would be able to find the motivation to keep going unlike this story. I'm glad you like my decision for Kai to be single for now. I don't know if she'll never find someone, but it just depends on how I feel she develops. As for your ideas I love them and actually was already considering a couple things before this review. Not going to spoil anything now though. There will definitely be character growth in Kai though. I'm excited for the meeting too! I'm still figuring out how it will go, but I'm excited nonetheless!**

 **Guest #2: I'm glad you're liking the story! Yeah I really liked their idea too. Can't promise if it'll come out the same way, or if it'll even go through at all. No spoilers** **.  
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 **Next time: Bitter Work**


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